Frozen - A Sequel
by PinkLed5
Summary: :-:This story was awarded the "Frozen I.C.E." award on April 8th, 2014:-: SYNOPSIS: An unnatural drought has nearly destroyed the once proud kingdom of Arendelle. Could Elsa's magic be to blame? Unexpected visitors and dark secrets will threaten its very existence in this mystery/thriller.
1. Chapter 1

"…the Duke of Weselton."

The words sounded distant and hollow. They failed to break through the fog that surrounded the young queen of Arendelle. She sat on her blueish-white throne which glistened like ivory in the warm sunlight streaming through the open windows. It was going to be a majestic autumn evening.

"Queen Elsa?"

The words were spoken with utmost concern and sincerity. The creature who uttered them stood silently in the doorway, waiting for a response. He was made entirely out of snow with two crooked sticks poking comically out of the sides of his body. A stout carrot was planted firmly in his face where his nose should be and two unblinking eyes stared widely at the distracted queen. A small cloud above his head dispensed life sustaining snow, a gift from his beloved creator and master whom he was trying to communicate with now.

To anyone else a talking snowman might seem out of place, even fantastic. But Elsa's concentration was not broken by this amazing spectacle. She sat perched on the edge of her seat, peering out at the sun as it began its slow decent behind the glistening fjord.

"Elsa?"

She turned and looked in his direction, her expression softening. Her platinum blonde hair twisted intricately into a crisscross pattern of exquisite beauty and hung gently over her shoulder. Her sky blue eyes seemed to glow in the light of the slowly setting sun. She smiled and sat up straight, sliding her hands across the wrinkles of her dress as she did so.

"I'm sorry Olaf."

She cleared her throat and tried to appear regal and attentive.

"What did you say?"

"The Duke of Weselton is here."

The smile quickly faded from her face.

"Why?" She said, standing up. "What does he want?"

She considered for a moment the old man she first met at her coronation over a year ago. He had collaborated with Hans, the prince from the Southern Isles who had almost succeeded in overthrowing her kingdom and usurping the throne of Arendelle. She had narrowly avoided assassination attempts by both of them. The very thought of his return raised the hairs on the back of her neck.

"Tell him to go back home. He's not welcome here!"

Olaf stepped out of the doorway and into the room.

"He requests an audience with the queen of Arendelle. He says he has come to help."

"Ha!"

She crossing her arms and paced quickly in front of the throne.

"You tell that lying, conniving, no good, son of a jack rabbit that I want nothing to do with him!"

She swung her arm down as she turned to face Olaf, brushing the train of her gown out of the way.

"And what's more..." she began, but Olaf cut her off.

"He's brought food and water."

Elsa paused, frozen in place, her gaze fixed intently on Olaf. Then she sat down hard on her throne. Her eyes traced the cracks that ran between the smoothly cut bricks in the floor and she pressed her lips together until they were two thin red lines.

She looked again at Olaf who stood rooted in place, his arms wide and his eyes wider as they implored her for direction. She found the corner behind her throne where Marshmallow loomed protectively like a gargoyle guardian. Seeing that massive snow creature with icicle claws whose head nearly touched the ceiling brought her some comfort. She looked back at Olaf, his expression had not changed.

"Fine." She said. "Send him in."

Elsa sat back expectantly and gripped the throne like it was a runaway carriage. She was unaware of the small crusts of ice that began to form and trace tiny paths around the ornately carved decorations in the armrests. It wasn't long before the shuffling steps of the creepy old man and his unwelcome entourage could be heard following Olaf into the room. They crossed halfway before Olaf stopped them.

"My queen." Olaf said, trying to sound official. "I present to you the Duke of Weaseltown."

"Weselton!" The squat old man exclaimed.

Olaf gave her a wink and she couldn't help but grin mischievously. Then he left them and took his place on the other side of the open archway from which they had entered.

The duke took a step forward. At the same moment Marshmallow stirred in the corner and a low rumble that resembled a growl filled the room. The duke quickly stepped back.

"Your Majesty." He rasped with a serpentine hiss as he bowed deeply, motioning for his two companions to do the same. "You are a welcome sight for these old eyes."

"I wish I could say the same, duke.".

His diminutive stature, spindly limbs and small, beady eyes made him appear threatening.

"Why have you come here? You know you're not welcome in Arendelle."

"My dear queen," He said, his lips forming a strange shape vaguely resembling a smile. "All that was a long time ago. I was hoping we could let bygones be bygones."

"You didn't answer my question."

She stood up, elbows locked, her hands forming small fists at her sides.

"Why have you come here?"

"We have heard of the suffering of Arendelle. As your closest trading partner it is our duty to help the best that we can. We have brought food, water and supplies to ease the suffering of your people."

Elsa relaxed and sat down.

"A noble act indeed." She quipped. "And I suppose you came all the way over here out of the kindness of your heart?"

The duke ignored the jab.

"We have heard the stories. The rivers have stopped. The wells are running dry. Crops are dying. People are fleeing Arendelle like it has the plague."

Elsa's attention snapped suddenly to the duke causing him to recoil.

"Is that why you came here? To point out the suffering of my people? As if I am not aware of it?"

"Your Majesty, I meant no disrespect."

"No disrespect?"

Elsa's head jerked forward and she sat up, her voice rising sharply as she spoke.

"I am the queen of Arendelle! It is my duty to protect my people! To provide for MY people! And you don't think I am aware of their suffering?!"

The duke's poorly fitted toupee ruffled slightly in a sudden breeze. It made him shiver. A snowflake swirled chaotically through the air and landed on his nose, melting instantly.

"No, Your Majesty. We only want to help. We have brought the tradable goods you seek. We have a boat full of foodstuffs, barrels of water and many other provisions. It is for you and your people!"

Elsa paused reflectively, staring out the window at the water.

"Arendelle has nothing left to trade." She said. "We've exhausted everything we had, traded everything of value away."

She looked back at the duke who just stood there, grinning. She looked away again.

"I will not beg for your charity."

The old man stood there, enjoying the silence. When he finally did speak his voice was full of mock concern.

"But there will be no need, Your Highness. Arendelle has plenty left to trade."

He held out a roll of papers bound tightly by a bright yellow ribbon. He motioned for Elsa to take them.

"What is this?" She asked.

The duke made no attempt to approach her. He stood there, arm extended, warily eyeing the creature in the corner.

"Land deeds." He replied. "A simple transaction. Sign these deeds over to me and everything on my ship is yours."

Elsa stood up and briskly crossed the room, snatching the papers out of his hand. She turned away, undoing the ribbon with one flick of her finger, and began flipping through the pages.

"You wouldn't!" She exclaimed, turning back to face the duke.

"These are the finest plots of land in all of Arendelle!"

"A small price to pay for the lives or your people, is it not?" He offered slyly.

Elsa sank down into her throne, her eyes unfocused and unfixed.

"You're a monster." She said.

"No, you're the monster, as I recall. How do you know you're not the cause of this cursed drought?"

"What?"

The words hit her like a blow to the stomach and she struggled to catch her breath. A chilling breeze swirled about the room causing the men to grasp their cloaks and pull them closer. A snowflake appeared, and then another, and another. They bounced energetically around the room.

"Think about it!" The duke continued. "Arendelle suffers from the worst drought anyone has ever seen. Yet every other kingdom around you prospers! Face it Elsa. You have cursed this land!"

"Nooo!" Elsa yelled, standing up. Marshmallow took a step forward and Olaf came bounding into the room. The cold breeze intensified into a biting wind.

"I will not be bullied by a selfish, predatory opportunist who wants to pad his own coffers with the tears of my people!"

The duke had to yell to be heard over the intensifying storm that churned throughout the room.

"Think about it, Elsa!"

Ice crystals cut into his skin and he raised his arm to protect his face. Elsa took a step forward and his companions backed away. But he stood his ground. He looked her directly in the eyes as she approached.

"They'll die without my help."

Elsa's whole body trembled. She tore the papers into tiny bits and let them go. They circled around the room like leaves in a dust storm.

"You will not come into my kingdom and threaten my people with extinction."

Elsa took a step forward and this time the duke yielded to her advance.

"You will not blackmail me into selling my people or their land so they may become slaves to a barbarian."

The duke and his companions missed the door during their retreat and their backs were pressed firmly against the wall. Elsa seemed to tower over them.

"You are banished from Arendelle." She said, struggling to control the anger in her voice. She turned away and walked back to the throne. The storm around them began to subside and the floor became littered with little droplets of snow where they quickly melted.

"And what's more, you are never to return."

She sat down and looked at the three grown men, cowering in the corner.

"Never!"

The duke regained his composure and stepped away from the wall, yanking on the bunched edges of his jacket as he did so.

"You'll regret this." He hissed through clenched teeth.

Elsa ignored him.

"Marshmallow," she commanded, "escort these men back to their ship."

"That won't be necessary!" The duke squealed as he turned to flee. But the beast was too large and too fast. It scooped the men up and carried them kicking and screaming back to the docks where it deposited them violently in front of their ship.

"Don't come back!" Marshmallow roared. The men scrambled to get up and tripped and fell over themselves as they attempted to board their ship.

"You'll regret this!" The duke screamed. "You'll regret this!"

Marshmallow returned to his station after the ship sailed away. The queen sat trembling, staring at nothing in particular. Olaf approached and put one hand on top of hers.

"Are you okay, Elsa?"

Elsa smiled at him, but a tear glistened in her eye. She watched a row of ice crystals sprout from her hand and envelope Olaf's little stick arm before he pulled away and shook them off with considerable effort.

"Olaf?

"Yes, Elsa?"

"Please get me my gloves."


	2. Chapter 2

Elsa stood at the window of her throne room. The morning light bathed her slender figure in a halo of golden sparkles. The bright blue sky stretched from the farthest reaches of the fjord all the way to the North Mountain. There wasn't a cloud in the sky. Of course, there were never any clouds in the sky. No clouds, no rain, no snow on the mountains, no rivers, no water of any kind. Not anymore.

Every morning the routine was the same. The residents of Arendelle came streaming to the castle to receive their daily ration of water. Elsa looked down from her perch to observe the long line of people stretching from the castle and disappearing over the nearest hill. They never complained, they never protested. They trusted their queen to take care of them, to provide for them. They believed that she would never fail them.

Elsa turned away from the window and called out for the captain of the guard.

"Alek."

A gaunt man entered the room removing his helmet and tucking it under his arm as he did so. The lines in his face betrayed his youthful appearance and his sandy blonde hair was flecked with gray. He clearly hadn't bathed recently as dark smudges of dirt and mud speckled his cheeks and chin.

"Yes, Your Majesty." He said, standing at attention.

"How much water do we have left?"

"Not much more than a few days' worth, Your Highess. A week at the most."

"Do the people know this?"

"No, Your Majesty. The records are kept under lock and key. Only you and I have access to them."

"Good. Please keep it that way. Anna and Kristoff should be returning today with news from the journey West. We're going to find water."

He stood motionless, his gaze fixed straight ahead.

"We'll find water, Alek." She repeated.

"Of course, Your Majesty."

Every able bodied man in the kingdom had been asked to participate in the search for water. Elsa did not make it mandatory, as Alek had suggested, yet the response was overwhelming. The volunteers were assigned to one week expeditions with three weeks off in between. Much to Anna's dismay, Kristoff had so far refused to take a break from the exhausting explorations of the surrounding wilderness. He had become the de facto leader of the expeditions, heading up search party after search party as they combed the land in every direction looking for the one resource that would save the kingdom from disaster. Perhaps that was why he had insisted on taking Anna with him on this last excursion. Elsa feared for her safety but knew she couldn't be in more capable hands.

She went back to the window and Alek turned on his heel preparing to leave. He paused reflectively, started walking again, stopped, then turned back to face Elsa.

"My queen." He said, imploringly.

"Yes, Alek?" She didn't remove her gaze from the people lined up outside her castle.

He hesitated, fiddling with his helmet.

"There are rumors." He said finally. Elsa turned to face him.

"Rumors?"

"People are saying that the Duke of Weselton brought water, but you refused his offer."

Elsa looked at him for a while, judging his intentions. He was a good man. He had no wife and no children and had dedicated his life to the guardianship of Arendelle and its queen. When most of her staff and many of the guards had fled Arendelle to escape the brutality of the waterless summer, Alek had never wavered. She knew there was no malice in the question.

She remembered when the drought first began early in the spring. Everyone thought the rain was just being stubborn. But then the snow on the mountains melted, the rivers stopped and the crops began to die. It was Alek who first suggested that Elsa use her powers to create the snow and ice so it could melt and bring water to the people of Arendelle. Large wooden structures were built to trap and contain the water produced by the melting magical ice. It wasn't difficult for Elsa to create it, but it didn't work. There was something about the water, harvested from ice of unknown source and substance, that made the people sick. Crops wouldn't drink it, animals refused it.

Elsa had been devastated. What good was her magic if it couldn't save the people she loved?

"Alek, I would never deprive you or any of my people from having the things they need if it is in my power to give it."

"I know, Your Highess." He cast his eyes downward and took a step back. "I'm sorry. I should never have brought it up."

She turned back to look out the window.

"You love these people as much as I do." She said, her eyebrows bunching up on her forehead. "You have nothing to apologize for."

Alek turned to leave, shoving his helmet back on his head as he did so. He passed Olaf in the hall and gave him a friendly nod. Olaf waved back, his little stick arm flailing so wildly it seemed like it would come off.

When Olaf entered the throne room Elsa was still standing at the window. Her hands were clasped in front of her, her mouth resting gently on her knuckles.

"Good morning!" Olaf exclaimed, cheerily.

Elsa turned to face him, wiping at her eyes as she did so with one gloved hand.

"Good morning, Olaf." She went to him and bent down on her knees, picking away some of the loose snow that was clumping around the small hairs on his head.

He tilted his head to one side and looked up at her through his eyebrows.

"Do you know what today is?" He asked, holding his arms open wide.

She thought for a moment, and then shook her head. "No, tell me."

"Ice skating day!" He proclaimed happily, laughing and twirling away from her.

She stood up, quietly chuckling.

"Oh, Olaf. You can always cheer me up."

She went to her throne and sat down, tracing the outlines of its decorations with one finger.

"But I don't think we'll be having an ice skating day today."

"What?" Olaf stopped mid twirl and turned his head to look at her. The rest of his body quickly followed.

"But we never miss ice skating day." He said softly, his arms slowly falling to his sides.

"I'm sorry Olaf." She said. "I'll make it up to you, I promise."

Olaf turned and sauntered gloomily out into the hallway.

Elsa went to the window again, straining to see as far West as possible. The sharp teeth of the mountains jutted upwards towards the sky, making a clear view impossible. She paced the floor of her throne room over and over again, back and forth, back and forth, watching the shadows of the room trace low arches across the floor. Olaf returned and joined her, following her silently around the room as they made their circular journey to nowhere. Still, Anna and Kristoff did not return.

The sun had set before she finally heard the metallic steps of Alek's boots clicking on the stone floor of the hall just outside. He entered briskly and took a station next to the archway.

"Your Majesty," he said. "Anna and Kristoff have returned"

Elsa stood up and hurriedly ran towards the large archway that led to the hall. At that same moment Anna ran into the room, grinning and towing Kristoff close behind.

"Elsa!" She called out giddily. She let go of Kristoff's hand and embraced her sister. Kristoff stood a few steps away watching them. His eyes strayed towards Marshmallow standing motionless in the corner and then over to Olaf. Olaf smiled and waved excitedly.

"Hi Kristoff!" He said, smiling.

Kristoff waved back.

Elsa gently took Anna by the shoulders and held her at arm's length, studying her closely. Her red hair was braided into pigtails and hung loosely around her shoulders. Her freckles danced merrily on her cheeks as she smiled and her eyes shimmered, changing from blue to green in the flickering glow of the torchlight.

"You're practically glowing." Elsa said, smiling.

Anna nodded her head excitedly. Elsa looked over to Kristoff who stood there expressionless, scratching one large hand through his thick, blond hair.

"So did you find it?" She asked, hopefully.

"The water?" Anna responded. A shadow came over her face and she looked down at the ground. "Well...no...not exactly." She looked back up at Elsa, her smile reappearing. "But I know we will, it's just a matter of time!"

"Oh..." Elsa said, not hiding her disappointment. She took a step backwards and turned around slowly, her gaze falling to the floor. She crossed her arms and began rubbing her shoulders as if to ward off a chill.

Anna shot a worried glance at Kristoff who shrugged and motioned for her to continue. She took a step over to stand by his side and clutched his arm in her hands.

"Elsa, we have something to tell you."

Kristoff stood there nervously, glancing quickly between Anna and Elsa. Elsa turned around to face them but her gaze was clearly fixed on something that wasn't there.

"We're getting married." Anna offered hastily. She waited for Elsa's response, but it didn't come.

"Elsa?" She inquired, tilting her head forward.

Elsa looked up at the couple standing before her. Anna was grinning and nodding her head. Kristoff's eyebrows were raised and one corner of his mouth protruded upwards.

"Married?" Elsa half asked, snapping back into the moment. "Oh, that's wonderful!"

She went to her sister and embraced her again.

"That's so wonderful! I'm so happy for you!" Then she looked hard at Kristoff. "And it's about time!" She growled.

The sisters let go of each other and clasped hands. Anna looked down at Elsa's in shock.

"Elsa! You're wearing the gloves again!"

Elsa turned away and buried her hands in the folds of her crossed arms. Anna took a step forward and put one hand on her shoulder.

"Elsa, what happened?" The note of concern was unmistakable. Elsa continued to her throne and proceeded to sit down. She folded her hands in her lap and tried her hardest to smile.

"It's nothing to worry about, nothing I can't manage."

They all stood there in silence for a few moments. Anna looked for encouragement in Kristoff's eyes, but found none. Finally, he broke the silence.

"We traveled two days West." He said. "We looked in every place I know where to look. There's just no water."

He watched Elsa carefully, trying to judge her response.

"I know you did your best." She said quietly, trying to maintain her smile.

Anna stepped over to Olaf and put one hand on his shoulder. He smiled up at her and they both looked towards Elsa.

"It'll work out," Anna said, trying her best to sound encouraging. "I know it will. We'll think of something."

Elsa stood up and walked over to the window and looked up at the full body of the moon.

"I wish I shared your optimism, Anna." She said, frowning. She turned back towards her sister, the smile suddenly coming back to her face. "But you're getting married! I can't believe it!"

"I know!" Anna said excitedly. "He asked me the morning we left. I couldn't wait to get back to tell you!"

Elsa took her sister's hands again and smiled, scrunching her shoulders up excitedly.

"It's going to be wonderful!" She said, grinning. "We'll need a few days to plan but we'll throw the biggest ball for you! Of course we'll have your favorites, soup, roast and ice cream, and we'll invite the whole kingdom! It'll be just like..." She trailed off, the smile suddenly fleeing from her face. She thought of the empty cupboards and bare shelves in the castle's kitchen. She stared into her sister's eyes, chin trembling. Tears began to well up and her eyebrows knitted fiercely together. She clenched her jaw, trying to hold it back, to keep it in. But she couldn't. She burst into tears. Kristoff looked startled and Olaf bounded over immediately. Anna grabbed her sister pulling her closer and Elsa buried her face into her shoulder, sobbing. Anna shot a look at Kristoff and he responded immediately. He grabbed Olaf by the arm and headed for the archway, leaving the room.

Elsa finally regained her composure.

"I can't even have a party for my sister." She said, lifting up her head and dabbing at her eyes. "It's the most important event of your life and I can't even celebrate it for you!"

Anna reached out and brushed the hair out of Elsa's face.

"Oh, Elsa." She said, smiling. "There's nothing I want more than to just be with you and Kristoff. As long as I have that I have everything I need."

Elsa sniffed and wiped at her nose with a handkerchief Anna handed her. She tried to smile back.

"I'm so sorry."

Anna looked confused. "For what?"

"For ruining your moment. You were so happy when you got here and I ruined everything."

"Elsa!" Anna gently scolded. "Don't be ridiculous. But I know there's something bothering you. What happened?"

Elsa turned away and wiped her eyes with her gloved hands. She sat down on the throne and stared at her open palms resting gently in her lap.

"The Duke of Weselton came here yesterday." She stated matter of factly.

Anna kneeled down next to her, concerned.

"What did he say?"

"He brought food and water in exchange for all the best land in Arendelle."

Anna gasped. "He didn't!"

Elsa just nodded her head, somberly.

"Did you do it?"

"No."

"What did you do?" She asked, wide eyed.

"I banished him from Arendelle and had Marshmallow throw him out."

Anna tried to choke back a giggle and made a strange snorting sound instead. Elsa laughed and dabbed at her eyes again. She looked up at Anna who smiled back at her. They said nothing for a long time and just enjoyed the moment together. After a long while Elsa's expression became more serious before she broke the silence again.

"Anna." She started, pausing for a moment before she continued. "Do you think I could be the cause of this terrible drought?" Her face was full of pleading and worry.

Anna could not hide her surprise. "Elsa, is that what this is all about?"

Elsa hesitated. "Arendelle is the only kingdom suffering from this tragedy. This…this..." she searched for the right word. "…this disease!"

Anna gently took one of Elsa's hands and held it in both of hers, waiting for her to continue.

"What if my magic is causing the people of Arendelle to suffer?" She said, a deep frown creasing her face. "What if this is all my fault?"

She searched Anna's expression for confirmation of her fears but found only worry and concern.

"Elsa, your magic is the most beautiful thing I have ever known."

Tears began to well up in Elsa's eyes again and her voice rose and cracked with the strain of her emotion.

"My magic has only ever hurt the people I love the most." She said, her eyes locked on Anna's. It took her a long time before she could continue. When she did, she struggled to form the words.

"What if it's true?" She half whispered.

Anna shook her head. "No, Elsa, you can't believe that!"

Elsa felt like a dam that was on the verge of breaking. She trembled with the effort to hold it all back. She searched Anna's face for the answer that would take away all her doubts. She had to fight to get out the next words. But she forced herself to say them.

"Anna. What if I'm killing my people!?"

The thought was too much for her to bear. She fell into Anna's arms and burst into tears. Uncontrollable sobs convulsed through her whole body. Anna sat there holding her, not knowing what to do.

The sound of small cracklings could be heard as ice suddenly sprouted over the entire throne. It spread to the floor where it quickly began extending out in every direction like icy daggers trying to reach the walls.

"Elsa!" Anna cried out.

Elsa recoiled in horror, instantly realizing what had happened. Her sister's face and shoulders were covered in thick frost and her hair was as cold as icicles. Elsa stood up and backed away, her head slowly shaking from side to side. She turned and ran out the archway and into the hall. Each step she took left behind a small island of snowflake shaped ice on the stone floor.

Anna leapt up and ran after her, wiping the tiny crystals from her face.

"Elsa, stop!"

But she didn't. She ran and she didn't look back. She kept running until she reached her room where she threw herself inside and slammed the door behind her. Anna was just a few steps behind but she was too late. She flung herself on the door, fighting back tears. She could hear Elsa's soft cries through the wooden slats that separated them. Turning her back to the door she slowly slid down it until she was sitting and pulled her knees up to her chest. She rested the back of her head on the cold wood and closed her eyes.

"Elsa," she whispered, wiping away a tear. "It's not your fault."


	3. Chapter 3

Kristoff and Olaf slowly entered the throne room not knowing what they would find. They had left the sisters alone some time ago and Kristoff had not yet heard from Anna, which worried him. Much to his surprise the room was completely empty, all except for Marshmallow standing stoically in the corner.

They walked back into the hallway and Kristoff motioned to his companion.

"Stay here, Olaf, and let me know if they come back."

"OK!" the little snowman replied, grinning. He settled in against the wall near the open archway and stood there with his arms extending outward like a bird in flight. He stared in wonder at the gorgeous designs carved into the stone walls all around him.

Kristoff turned and headed towards Anna's room, a look of worry and dismay knitting his brow. When he arrived at the corridor where the girls' rooms were located he stopped suddenly, peering at Elsa's door where Anna lay crumpled on the floor fast asleep. Her head was propped precariously between the door and its jam and her legs jutted awkwardly into the hallway. Nearly invisible trails of dried tears stained her freckled cheeks and her hands were folded peacefully into her lap.

Kristoff's shoulders drooped, his head tilting slightly as he pressed his lips together until they formed a long slender line above his chin. He kneeled down beside her and scooped her up in his arms, her head resting gently in the crook of his elbow. He headed towards the slightly open door of her room.

Anna's eyes fluttered open gradually, taking time to adjust to the dim light of the corridor. When she saw Kristoff she threw her arms around his neck and buried her face into his shoulder. He kissed her softly on the top of the head.

Pushing the bedroom door open with his foot he made his way around to the side of the bed and slowly lowered Anna onto it, removing her shoes in the process. He knelt down beside her and gently stroked her red hair with the thick fingers of one hand. Anna smiled up at him and took his other hand in her own.

"Are you ok?" He asked, his eyes locked on hers.

"I'm ok." She replied, still smiling. She stared into his face admiring his chiseled features and getting lost in his warm, brown eyes for a few moments. She wasn't sure if she saw adoration or concern there. Then she looked away, her smile fading and her tone becoming more somber.

"I'm worried about Elsa."

Kristoff made no reply. He sat there watching her every move, waiting for her to continue. Anna looked back at him and hesitated for a moment, her lips parted slightly as she considered the weight of her words.

"She's afraid that her magic is causing this horrible drought." She said finally, looking away again.

"Is it?" Kristoff asked, his voice devoid of any emotion.

"Kristoff!" Anna whispered angrily, her gaze snapping back up to him. Her eyebrows nearly touched together as she scowled.

"Well, the thought had crossed my mind." He replied, shrugging his shoulders.

Anna was indignant. "Elsa is not making this drought happen!"

She stared at him for a long time but his expression didn't change.

"Ok." He said, letting go of Anna's hand and standing up. "I believe you."

He sat down on the edge of the bed and leaned over her body, propping himself up on one hand.

"But if she's not causing it, then what is?"

Anna's face grew dark, her lips pursed together on one side of her mouth and her brows formed dark shadows over her eyes.

"I don't know." She stated, reflectively, her eyes wandering to the canopy above her bed. She sat in silent contemplation for a long time before looking back at Kristoff.

"She's upset she can't throw us an engagement party." She said, suddenly.

Kristoff nodded in understanding, but said nothing. They both sat in silence for a while listening to the inaudible sounds of the sleeping castle. Anna's eyes closed for a long time and Kristoff thought she had fallen asleep, but then they opened again and she looked back up at him.

"I'm so worried about her." She said as a large yawn firmly took her in its grip. Her eyes became heavy with sleep and she fought to keep them open. "I don't want to lose her again."

He watched her lying there for a long while as she slowly drifted off to sleep. Her pigtails made silly designs on the pillow next to her head and her hands fell limply to her sides.

He touched her cheek with the back of one hand and thought about the drought that threatened all of Arendelle. He wanted to make everything better, to take away all of her pain and fears. He held out his hands in front of his chest, staring at them stupidly. He felt so helpless, so useless. He looked back at Anna who lay there peacefully, watching the slow methodical rising and falling of her torso as she breathed the sweet air of dreamless sleep. All he wanted to do was protect her and provide for her. But he felt like all that was slipping away.

He leaned over and tucked one hand underneath her head, gently lifted it up and lightly kissing her on the forehead. Then he stood up, grabbed a thick blanket from a chair in the corner, and sprawled it over her slender form. He retreated to the door and stepped out into the hallway, pulling it nearly all the way closed in the process. He glanced back to take one last look at her through the narrow slit of the door. The pale moonlight was streaming through the window and softly caressing her beautiful face.

"Good night, Anna." He whispered as he quietly closed the door.

The rising sun streamed through Anna's window, gently prodding at her eyelids and urging them to part. Suddenly, her eyes flew open and she leapt out of bed, tearing off her old clothes and grabbing a dress out of her clothes chest. Dark circles framed her watering eyes which remained half closed. She brushed the sleep out of them as she pulled on the dress and hastily threw on her slippers. She shoved her hair into a bun as she rushed out the door and quickly trotted down to Elsa's room, gently rapping on the closed door with the back of one hand.

"Elsa?" She called out softly.

The maid walked by carrying a tray of food and greeted her. Anna smiled back.

"The queen is already in the throne room, dear."

Anna took off, picking up her dress as she ran down the corridor and through the winding passages until she found the throne room. She passed Olaf in the hall, who waved excitedly, and burst through the archway. She stopped short, not expecting anyone else to be there.

Tobias, the court recorder, stood next to Elsa holding something in his hands. They both looked up, surprised, as she entered. Elsa's white-blonde hair was wrapped tightly in a bun and she had a blue cape draped regally over her shoulders, her gloved hands hanging interlaced before her. Anna stood there holding the sides of her forest green dress, dumbly staring back at them. Elsa glanced down at her shoes.

"Your slippers are on the wrong feet." She said, gently.

She then returned to the task at hand, peering down at what Tobias was writing with a large quill pen on an unrolled piece of parchment.

Anna hopped forward as she approached them, quickly swapping the slippers between her feet.

Elsa crossed her arms and turned away to look out the window.

"Read that last part back to me." She asked.

Tobias plunged the quill back into its container. He adjusted the sash that bound his brown robe to his flabby frame. His wild black hair surrounded a pink, bald head and the tip of his elongated nose twitched as he spoke.

"'Your generosity is not without appreciation.'" He said in a high, squeaky voice as he read back from the parchment. "'I deeply regret my actions and hope that you will accept my offer. I trust you understand the urgency of the situation and that we can anticipate a prompt response.'"

Elsa did not break her gaze from the window.

"Ok." She said softly, nodding. "That's good."

Anna stood there, horrified.

"Elsa, what are you doing?!"

Elsa looked at her, but said nothing. Tobias folded the parchment and gently stuffed it inside a yellow envelope. He grabbed one end of a long, narrow stick that was roasting a red chunk of clayish material over a candle flame like a pig on a spit. He pressed the substance over the lip of the envelope which left behind a thick, bubbly seal. He then deposited the envelope on the small table next to Elsa. She removed a cap from one of the large rings on her fingers revealing a small replica of the royal seal of Arendelle. She pressed it firmly into the drying substance on the envelope leaving behind a perfect impression.

"Elsa, you can't!" Anna protested, taking a small step forward, her arms thrust down beside her.

Elsa replaced the cap over the ring and walked to her throne, sitting down.

"Send our last remaining ship to deliver that." She commanded.

Tobias bowed deeply, the envelope clutched in his hands.

"Yes, Your Majesty." He said. "It will be ready to depart this afternoon."

He passed Anna as he approached the archway and exited into the hall.

Anna stood rooted in place, like a statue, a look of shock and disbelief splashed across her face.

"Why?" She quietly implored.

Elsa sat there silently for a few moments, a blank expression on her face.

"Anna." She said, flatly. "What choice do we have?"

Anna took another step forward.

"Choice?" She repeated coldly. "Choice? That's not a choice. That's surrender. You're giving up. You're giving up on Arendelle. You're giving up on your people!"

Elsa stood up, her voice wavering as she spoke.

"What would you know about choices?"

"You don't have to do this, Elsa." Anna pleaded, taking a few steps forward and putting one hand on her sister's arm.

"Don't touch me!" Elsa said, recoiling. Anna leapt back surprised. Elsa's expression softened and her voice calmed. "I don't want to hurt you."

"Elsa please don't do this. We can manage. We're going to find a way. Kristoff will find water, I know he will! It's just a matter of time!"

"We're out of time!" Elsa responded, more harshly than she meant to. She tried to control the rising intensity of her voice. "I do not intend to stand here and do nothing while Arendelle wastes away!"

Anna shook her head. "What would father think." She asked coldly.

The words struck Elsa like a charging bull. Her mouth opened and closed repeatedly but no sound came out. She tried to take a deep breath but only shuddered. Only after several moments was she able to speak again, her voice reduced nearly to a whisper.

"You have no idea what it's like." She said, her eyes imploring for her sisters understanding. "To have all these people looking up to you. To have the burden of everyone's expectations. To have to find the answer no matter how hard it is to find!"

"That's not an answer." Anna whispered, lowering her head. She stared at her hands for a long while before looking back up at Elsa.

"You're letting everyone down."

Elsa bit her lip hard, straining against the emotions.

"I'd rather let them down than let them die."

She stood there, her whole body shivering as she faced Anna. Anna wiped away a tear.

Without warning, Alek burst into the room, startling the two women.

"Your Majesty, there are ships approaching!"

Elsa's attention snapped suddenly towards the open window.

"What?" She inquired, clearly thrown off by the declaration. She and Anna rushed to the window, arriving at the same time. Three faint objects could be seen along the farthest reaches of the fjord slowly approaching Arendelle.

"Who is it?" Elsa demanded.

Alek shrugged. "We don't know yet. They're out of range of our spy glasses."

Elsa turned to face him.

"Prepare the guard," she demanded frenetically, "secure the portcullis. But do not alert the people. Not yet."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Alek quickly turned away and his heavy footsteps could be heard running down the hall.

"Who could it be?" Anna asked, her face stitched with worry.

"I don't know." Elsa replied, trying to sound brave. But her expression betrayed her. "You better find Kristoff."

Anna nodded and ran out of the room.

Elsa stood there, staring at the approaching ships. There were three. Why were there three? No one sends a peace delegation on three ships. Her first thought was of the duke. Was he returning with warships intent on invading Arendelle?

She turned away from the window immediately questioning how harshly she had treated the men from Weselton. Could her meager forces repel an attack? Were they strong enough? She mentally considered the possible size of the invading force. There was always her magic, but she had only used it offensively once before. How strong could she be if she needed to? She looked at her hands and then glanced at Marshmallow keeping silent watch over the throne room. How many of him could she make? Could she freeze the fjord? The last time she had no clue it was even happening much less how she did it. She didn't think she could do it again.

She looked back out the window. The ships were getting closer. They would be within cannon range soon. Her thoughts were a flurry of questions and confusion. One thing was certain. Whoever was coming would not get Arendelle without a fight.

Anna and Kristoff came running into the room, Olaf in tow. They gathered around her by the window.

"Who is it?" Kristoff asked. "Are they friendly?"

Elsa turned to face him.

"Kristoff, I want you to take Anna and Olaf and leave Arendelle."

"What!?" Anna objected, stepping forward. Elsa continued.

"And don't come back unless I give the signal."

"Elsa!" Anna said frantically. "I'm not going to leave you!"

Kristoff looked questioningly between Elsa and Anna, his confusion obvious.

"Where are we supposed to go?" He asked, turning his palms up and shrugging his shoulders.

"It doesn't matter. Anywhere! Go back to your family, to the trolls. Wherever you can go! You just need to leave." She pleaded with him, her voice cracking. "NOW!" The urgency in Elsa's voice propelled Kristoff. He grabbed Anna's hand and pulled her towards the door, but Anna shook him off.

"No, Elsa, I'm not leaving without you!"

Elsa turned to face her and was about to say something when Alek rushed into the room again.

"We see their flag, Your Highness." He said, hesitating.

"Well?" Elsa asked, impatiently. "Who is it?"

"The ships are flying under the banner of the Southern Isles."

"What?" The shock washed over Elsa like a tidal wave. Her mind raced through a thousand possibilities at once. Had Hans come back to claim his prize once and for all? Was his father, the king, behind Hans' treachery the entire time? Could more ships be in the fjord just beyond her view waiting to overwhelm Arendelle?

Alek continued. "But there's something else."

"Yes? What it is it?"

"They're flying a white flag."

Elsa stood staring at Alek, completely bewildered, trying to make sense of all the information. What did it mean? A white flag? Then it was a peaceful delegation after all? Then why were there three ships? Was it a trap?

"Don't let your guard down." She commanded. "Keep the men wary and ready. Do not take any actions unless I give the command."

"Yes, Your Majesty." He said, leaving the room.

Olaf hopped curiously over to the window. Anna looked at Elsa, then to Kristoff, then back at Elsa.

"What's going on, Elsa?" She asked, her face full of doubt and confusion.

"I have no idea." She replied.


	4. Chapter 4

Elsa stood motionless, her hands supporting her full weight upon the sill of the throne room window as her upper body hung precariously over the ledge. Her eyes were fixed solidly on the three ships in the fjord quickly approaching Arendelle's port. Anna, Kristoff and Olaf were bunched together behind her, their eyes wide with anticipation as they watched the approaching ships. Through the Eastern window behind them they knew Alek and the guards stood ready upon the docks, weapons drawn.

The vessels were close enough now that Elsa could see the steadily rippling banner near the top of the main ship's mast which bore the insignia of the Southern Isles. Just below it, a white flag tore at its flagpole as the fjord winds exhaled heavily upon it sending it into mad convulsions. There was no mistaking the signal, whoever piloted the ships wanted her to believe they came in peace.

Elsa knew she had very few defenses if it was a trap. Most of the armory had been depleted a long time ago, traded off in exchange for water, food and essential provisions. Items such as cannon balls, swords and arrows were useless in combating starvation and dehydration. There had been many detractors and difficult choices had been made. However, Elsa considered the survival of her people from the current threat of the drought to take precedence over the potential danger of an invading force. That logic had appeared sound at the time but now, as she stood there watching the encroachment of the ships upon her harbor, she wondered if she had made the right decision.

Finally, the ships slowed their approach and entered the sea gate, beginning the long process of docking with the port. The four onlookers rushed to the Eastern window to track their progress and saw Alek and two dozen men standing ready on the wooden planks of the dock. The force seemed laughably small compared to what they were up against, but each one of them was prepared to give their life for Arendelle. Elsa hoped it wouldn't come to that.

After the ships had docked she could see a man calling out to Alek from one of the boats. She couldn't hear them but they appeared to be negotiating some hotly disputed topic. Alek made rapid gestures in the air but their meaning escaped her.

"What are they saying?" asked Anna, her wide eyes glued to the men on the dock.

"Shhh!" Elsa hissed through clenched teeth, devoting every ounce of her concentration to the exchange taking place by the ships.

Eventually, a wide gang plank was lowered from what appeared to be the main ship and three men disembarked onto Arendelle's dock, flanked by Alek and his men. One was tall and dressed in some kind of uniform that indicated he was probably a dignitary of some sort. The other two were plainly outfitted. They were stopped at the bottom of the gang plank and a heated argument ensued. Elsa briefly looked at the other ships to see what their reaction might be, but every man stood perfectly still, silently observing the confrontation.

After some additional protest, the three men surrendered their weapons and began following Alek away from the ship, a half dozen guards in tow. As they approached the castle, Elsa slipped quickly from the window and hurried over to the throne to take her seat. The others remained where they were, turning their heads to watch her go.

"Elsa, what do we do?" Anna whispered, as if the men far below could hear them.

"Just stay by me." She replied, her eyes not leaving the archway. "If anything happens, Marshmallow will protect us."

The three of them exchanged glances and then took up stations behind Elsa's throne as if it were a battlement. Olaf could sense the intensity of the situation and cowered behind Kristoff like a frightened child, forgetting his usual insistence on introducing visitors to the Queen of Arendelle.

Before long, the sound of marching footsteps could be heard reverberating throughout the hall. As they approached the throne room they stopped suddenly, leaving only the metallic clicking of Alek's boots as he continued through the archway. As he entered, Elsa carefully studied his face for some clue that would betray the rigidity of his expression, but she found none.

"Your Majesty." Alek said, calmly. "Prince John of the Southern Isles has come to seek an audience with the Queen of Arendelle. He says he comes in peace."

Elsa and Anna exchanged quick glances at the mention of a prince from the Southern Isles. Kristoff made a face like he had just bitten into a lemon.

"Send him in." Elsa said, trying to contain the nervousness in her voice. "I trust you'll remain on high alert until I command otherwise."

"Of course, Your Majesty." He responded, bowing. He left the room and disappeared through the archway, reappearing moments later followed by the three strangers who were themselves followed by four guards.

When Prince John entered the room, Anna's heart skipped a beat and the flesh of her arms and neck broke out in goose bumps. For a moment she thought it was Hans walking towards them. Her hands began to shake uncontrollably and her legs started to tremble. Kristoff seemed to sense her sudden anxiety and he took a step sideways to be close to her, putting his arm around her shoulders as he did.

While watching the stranger Anna couldn't help but think about the youngest prince from the Southern Isles. She recalled the man who had proposed to her at her sister's summer coronation the year before and later locked her in a room, leaving her to die as he went to murder the new queen. But she quickly realized that this man wasn't Hans, although it was obvious they were related. His face was characterized by the same bold, distinguished features and a thick crop of red hair was finely parted down the middle of his head. Even his clothes appeared similar. He wore a heavily decorated white jacket with large tassels on the shoulders that bounced jauntily in tandem with each step. His legs, clad in plain gray trousers, disappeared at the knees as they plunged into tall, black boots.

But there were clear differences too. His sideburns were neatly trimmed and he looked a little taller and older than his younger brother. He had a large scar running across his forehead above his right eye and his nose was a little more flattened and wider. Studying these disparities, Anna breathed a sigh of relief and Kristoff gave her a gentle squeeze in reassurance.

Alek raised his hand and the procession stopped halfway between the arched entrance and the throne. Elsa sat forward on the seat with her back straight and head held high, trying to disguise her apprehension. Alek stepped aside and made a sweeping gesture toward the newcomers with his arm.

"Your Majesty, I present to you Prince John of the Southern Isles."

"Your Highness!" The prince said as he quickly dropped down on one knee and bowed his head. His companions followed suit in one coordinated motion. Elsa carefully observed their every action and expression for some sign of ill will, but could detect none. Still, she remained uneasy. She motioned for them to rise and they did so, standing respectfully as they waited for her to address them.

"Prince John." Elsa began, endeavoring to fill her voice with confidence and power. "Your visit is quite unexpected. I apologize for not making you feel more welcome but these are strange times, and we are not on the best terms with the people of the Southern Isles, as I'm sure you must understand."

Prince John bowed deeply before responding.

"Your Highness," He began, in a low, steady voice. "I assure you that no apology is necessary. We are quite aware of the strain that young Prince Hans put upon our kingdom's relations with you. It is our sincere hope that we can one day move past those tragic events and look forward to a bigger and brighter future."

Elsa studied him closely. Was he telling the truth? Could he be trusted? She couldn't be sure. She gave Alek a wary glance who seemed to understand its meaning, remaining on high alert.

"I appreciate your words of reconciliation." Elsa said, flatly. "But you did not sail three ships across the vast reaches of the sea to apologize for the actions of one rogue dignitary."

"You're quite correct, Your Highness."

"So then tell me, Prince John. Why have you come to Arendelle?" She waited anxiously for his response, studying every movement of his face and every motion of his body. If he was lying to her, she wanted to know.

"Our kingdom has heard of the suffering of Arendelle and its people." Prince John began, a note of genuine concern reflected in his voice. "But not until recently were we informed of the full extent of its tragedy. We have come to you with three of our largest ships laden with as much food, water and other provisions that we could safely pack aboard them. They are a gift to the people of Arendelle and their beautiful queen. May it serve as a small token of our remorse over the actions of a dishonored son of the Southern Isles."

Elsa sat motionless, not able to return the prince's unwavering gaze. Tears began to well up in her eyes and she fought hard against them. She brought one gloved hand up to her mouth and pressed it against her lips gently, her shoulders slightly trembling from her resistance. She waited for the moment to pass, but it didn't. She wanted to speak, to make a reply, but she was afraid she would burst into tears if she did so.

Anna, who was watching Elsa closely, stepped out from behind the throne to stand beside her.

"Arendelle is deeply grateful for this wonderful act of kindness." She said, doing her best to sound elegant and regal.

After a moment, Elsa finally regained her composure.

"Thank you." She said, almost in a whisper. She took a deep breath through her nose and exhaled slowly. "Thank you." She repeated, this time more forcefully. She nodded to Alek who motioned for the guards to stand down.

"Allow me to introduce ourselves." She said, as she stood up from the throne to take a position next to her sister, grasping her arm.

"This is my sister, Anna, the princess of Arendelle." Anna waved excitedly and John waved back, smiling.

Elsa then motioned to Kristoff whose head and shoulders were visible from behind the throne. "This is Kristoff, my sister's fiancée." Kristoff didn't know how to respond and looked anxiously at Anna for some direction, but received none. Finally, he nodded in respect.

"Hello!" John responded cheerily.

"And last but not least, this is Olaf." Elsa said, gesturing with her hand for Olaf to come forward. Sensing the change of atmosphere he came bounding out from behind Kristoff and into open view, his little twig arms spread wide open.

"Hi, I'm Olaf!" He chirped. "And I like warm hugs!"

John was clearly astounded.

"So the stories are true!" He said under his breath, getting down on one knee to examine the snowman.

"That's absolutely spectacular!"

He inspected him closely before standing again.

"And that one in the corner," He said, motioning toward Marshmallow. "Is that one….alive too?"

Elsa smiled and nodded.

"Just fantastic!" John exclaimed in wonder. He stared in awe at the fearsome creature before returning his gaze to Elsa. It lingered there for longer than he intended.

"Oh, excuse me!" He said suddenly, his eyes widening. "Where are my manners?"

He directed his attention to his two companions who stood silently on either side of him.

"This is Erik and Lars, my personal guards. I'm afraid you'll find them to be quite a bore to have around, nothing like your fine companions, I'm sure." He gestured toward each one with a different hand. "Say hello boys!"

They stood there motionless, like stone sentries.

"See what I mean?" He said, with mock disdain.

"What happened to Hans?" Anna blurted out.

Kristoff came and stood beside her, grabbing her hand in his. John looked at her carefully.

"Anna, is it?"

Anna nodded, almost imperceptibly. John paused for some time, considering how he should respond. When he finally did speak his voice was cold and lacked emotion.

"I'm sorry to report to you that Hans is dead."

"What?!" Elsa exclaimed, softly, letting go of her sister's arm. Anna gasped, her hand rising to cover her mouth. Kristoff's expression didn't change.

"What happened?" Anna asked, conflicted by the news.

John loosened his gloves one finger at a time and pulled them off, shoving them into the palm of one large hand.

"When Hans returned to the Southern Isles he was tried as a traitor." He said, dropping his arms down in front of him. He held the gloves in one hand and his wrist in the other. "He was charged with engaging in an unauthorized act of war with another kingdom. Sentenced to ten years hard labor he was to be transferred to a penal colony located on one of several uninhabited islands in our realm." He paused, examining their reaction to the story. Their attention was raptly fixed upon him, waiting for him to continue.

"He never made it." He said, abruptly.

"What?" Elsa asked, her eyebrows furrowing. "Why not?"

"The ship he was being transported on ran into a freak storm. The entire ship was lost. There were no survivors."

"Oh my God!" Anna exclaimed, her hand coming to her mouth again. Even Kristoff looked a little surprised at this.

The group stood quietly for some time, trying to absorb this new information. Elsa was the first to break the silence.

"Prince John…" She began, but he interrupted her.

"Please, just John."

"Alright, then." She restarted. "John. We are very sorry for your loss. Hans may have acted imprudently but he was still your brother."

"Half-brother, actually." John continued. "Perhaps he didn't deserve to die but he disgraced the royal family of the Southern Isles and put himself in that situation. He alone is responsible for his actions." His gaze became firmly fixed upon Elsa. "It is our sincere hope that we will one day be able to overcome the shame and disgrace that Hans' actions brought upon my kingdom."

Elsa stepped forward, her gloved hands clasped before her.

"Your generosity is a testament to the good of you and your people." She said, making a small curtsy. "How can we possibly hold any malice after such an incredible act of kindness."

Her gaze rose to meet John's.

"Arendelle is truly in your debt."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

She smiled softly at him.

"You may call me Elsa."


	5. Chapter 5

Elsa went to the Eastern window of the throne room and peered down at the three ships docked in her harbor. The remaining guards stood wary on the docks and the men on the ships appeared uneasy.

"Alek." She said, turning her attention to the captain of the guard. "Please take your men and help unload those ships."

She stepped back from the window and returned to her sister's side.

"Yes, Your Majesty." He responded, motioning for two other guards to follow as he left the room.

John took a step forward.

"Thank you, Your High..."

He interrupted himself as he put his gloves back on.

"Thank you, Elsa."

"It is the least I can do." She replied, smiling brightly, their eyes locking for a brief moment. John looked away, clearing his throat awkwardly.

"Well," he said taking a step back, "there's a lot of work to do…might as well get to it." He turned to leave and his companions went with him followed by the two remaining guards. The rest of the room watched them slowly leave through the archway and disappear down the hall.

Anna turned to her sister.

"Oh my goodness!" She said, embracing her. "I can't believe it! See I told you it would all work out!"

She took a step back to eye Elsa mischievously.

"And did you see the way he looked at you?"

Elsa turned away, a small blush appearing in her cheeks.

"No, I didn't notice anything." She said, trying not to smile.

Kristoff went to the window and watched Alek and John giving instructions to their men. Elsa's guards put their swords away and the remaining gang planks were lowered onto the docks.

"We can't trust him, you know." He said matter-of-factly as the guards joined the men on the ships.

The two girls' attention snapped to him immediately.

"What do you mean?" Anna asked in surprise.

Kristoff turned away from the window to face them. He dropped his head down and looked up through the tops of his eyes, the corner of his mouth bunching together on one side.

"Since when do we trust any prince from the Southern Isles?" He asked.

Anna stood up straight and crossed her arms.

"That's not fair, Kristoff." She said, her eyebrows knotting up between her eyes. "Prince John is not Hans."

"I didn't say he was." Kristoff replied. "But I think we can all agree that you're not the best judge of character."

Anna's head leaned forward and her mouth dropped open. She could only stare at Kristoff silently.

"Well..." Kristoff said, shrugging and making an apologetic face. "You're really not."

Anna looked at Elsa for support.

"What?" Elsa asked, feigning ignorance.

Anna tilted her head to one side and motioned towards Kristoff.

"Tell him we can trust John!" She pleaded.

Elsa turned away again, crossing her arms and clutching her elbows. Kristoff continued.

"How do we know he's even telling us the truth about who he is?"

Elsa took a few steps across the room before answering.

"I don't see any reason not to trust him." She said, carefully pondering the question. "He didn't have to bring all of this food and water to us."

Kristoff stood there, shaking his head.

"Elsa, have you so quickly forgotten what Hans did in Arendelle?" He asked, harshly.

Elsa spun around angrily to face him.

"Of course not!" She exclaimed.

"Think about it." He continued, his tone softening. "Hans took care of the people of Arendelle and even saved you from the duke's men. But his plan all along was to kill both you and Anna and steal the throne."

He pointed out the window to the men working far below.

"How do you know he's not trying to do the same thing?"

Elsa paused for a moment, analyzing his words. Her mind raced to find the breach in Kristoff's logic, but she couldn't.

"I understand what you're saying." She told him. "But I will not repay kindness with accusations and suspicion. Until I have a good reason to believe otherwise Prince John will remain a friend of Arendelle and we will all treat him as such. Is that understood?"

Kristoff lowered his head, shaking it from side to side. Then he looked back up at her.

"Please, Elsa." He pleaded. "I don't want you to get hurt."

Elsa returned to the window, observing the men on the docks who were beginning to unload large barrels from each ship.

"I appreciate your concern." She said, turning to look at him again. "But I do not have the luxury of mistrusting every stranger who comes to Arendelle to offer help."

Kristoff stared at her for a long time, an expression of disappointment clinging to his face. Finally, he looked back at Anna.

"I'm going to help unload the ship." He said, defeated, and turned to leave.

"Wait for me!" Olaf cried out, chasing after him.

Anna and Elsa exchanged a look of uncertainty as they watched them leave the room.

The men worked unceasingly throughout the day, unloading barrel after barrel from the massive ships. The girls remained at the window watching the men work, Elsa leaning on her hands and Anna bent over and propping her head up with her elbows. All of Elsa's guards joined Prince John and his men in the exercise including Alek, who was only outperformed by Kristoff's tireless pace. Most of the barrels were located below deck and were raised up through a horizontal door by a pulley and winch system after which they were loaded onto large carts and transferred to the castle. A line of busy workers streamed from the boats to the castle and back again throughout the day. From the sisters' perspective it resembled the single file march of an ant colony.

It seemed like the ship's cargo holds would never empty as the sun made its slow journey across the cloudless sky. Elsa gave orders to her staff to begin preparing a place for all of Prince John's men. Since the guard barracks were mostly empty there would be plenty of room for them to stay. She didn't know when they planned to leave but, as far as she was concerned, they could stay as long as they liked.

As the sun bent down from the burning sky to kiss the sparkling fjord, the stream of men on the docks finally began to slow. Anna left to go find Kristoff and Elsa took her seat on the throne as her caretakers entered to light the torches. She sat quietly contemplating the day's events. How had things changed so rapidly? It was as if the entire world had been lifted off her shoulders along with the overwhelming feeling of darkness and suffocation. She would be able to face her people with pride and dignity, even if it was only for a little while longer. But she knew she could not forever rely on the kindness of strangers to provide for her people and ease their suffering. She would have to find a way to end this cursed drought. Without that, Arendelle was doomed.

Just then Olaf entered the room, grinning happily and hopping from foot to foot.

"Queen Elsa." He said, bowing. "Prince John is here to see you."

Elsa perked up, straightening her torso, folding her hands in her lap and pulling back her shoulders.

"Yes, of course. Send him in." She said, expectantly.

Olaf bounded back out the archway and a few moments later John entered the room, stopping just inside the entrance. His hair was still wet from bathing and he wore a fresh change of clothes more casual than the uniform he had arrived in. His shirt was blue with ruffles that traced the line of his cuffs. His white breeches were clean and spotless and gone were his boots, replaced by small black shoes each topped with a golden buckle. He held a roll of papers in one hand bound tightly by a thick yellow ribbon. When Elsa saw it her heart began to pound and her breath quickened, fearing what they might contain. She lost herself in a flurry of dark possibilities before realizing that John was watching her, waiting for her to address him. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves and did her best to smile convincingly.

"Welcome." She said softly.

"Thank you." He replied, as he began to cross the room toward her. His stride was swift and confident but not to the point of arrogance.

"I took the liberty of drawing a bath with some of the water that we delivered." He said, stopping several steps before the throne. "I couldn't bear the thought of being in the presence of the Queen of Arendelle smelling like a three-day-old fish."

She smiled at him, trying not to appear uneasy.

"You would be welcome here regardless of your stench."

He grinned at the jest.

"May I?" He asked as he motioned towards a tall backed wooden chair set up against one wall.

"Of course." Elsa replied, turning her head to watch him as he grabbed the chair and slid it over to the throne, sitting diagonally across from her. He handed her the roll of papers.

"Thank you." Her hands trembled slightly as she took them.

"The ship's manifests." He declared, resting his elbows on his knees and clasping his ungloved hands together. "Everything we delivered is in those papers."

A sense of relief washed over Elsa and she relaxed a little, slowly undoing the ribbon and unrolling the papers to examine them. John watched her closely as she flipped from page to page. When she reached the end she looked up at him, an expression of gratitude framed on her face.

"This is incredible." She said, leaning forward slightly. "This will last us for weeks."

"Good!" John exclaimed, leaning back in his chair. "If it is within my power I will not allow Arendelle to succumb to this horrific drought. But tell me truthfully, how bad is it?"

Elsa rolled the papers back up and secured them with the ribbon, setting them on a small table next to her throne. She took a deep breath and looked back at John.

"I've never seen anything like it." She lamented, watching his eyes to judge his response to the story. "When it started early in the spring we thought it was just a stretch of bad luck. But then all the water disappeared, from everywhere. During the heat of the summer things got really desperate and we had to trade away almost everything of value just to get water and the other provisions we needed. Many of my staff and guards abandoned Arendelle. Any resident who had somewhere else to go fled, leaving behind the rest of the people to bear the brunt of the suffering. We've been searching the surrounding wilderness for water, but so far we've been unsuccessful. I don't know how much longer Arendelle can do this."

She studied John's face for his reaction. He folded his hands behind his head and seemed to be deep in thought.

"And you have no idea what's causing it?" He asked.

Elsa hesitated for a long time before replying. She looked down at her hands, then back up at John. He was watching her closely, waiting for her response.

"None at all." She said, finally.

John put his hands in his lap and leaned on one elbow.

"Well," he said, "you have had to dwell on this tragedy for long enough. How about a little something to take your mind off the matter?"

She gave him a look of confusion and he nodded towards the entrance to the throne room. Olaf was standing just inside the archway next to a man she didn't recognize who was holding a small table in one hand and a basket in the other.

"May he enter?" John asked, not taking his eyes off her.

"Of course." She responded, slightly bewildered.

"It's alright, Olaf." She called out, sending the little snowman back to his station.

The man entered the room and placed the small table between them. Then he put the basket on the floor and removed a tall dark bottle and two plain goblets, setting them on the table. Without a word, he picked up the basket and left the way he came in.

"How long has it been since you've had the taste of wine on your lips?" John asked, smiling.

Elsa frowned.

"How can I drink wine when my people are suffering?" She asked, sitting back in her throne. She gently placed her arms on the armrests and leaned her head against the backrest, staring at the ceiling.

"Elsa." John responded, ignoring her protests as he uncorked the bottle of wine and began to pour some into her cup. "Your people are going to be fine."

After filling his own cup he replaced the cork and set the bottle on the floor.

"Do you know what your problem is?" He asked, gently. She made no attempt at a response. John didn't seem to notice.

"You spend so much time thinking about everyone else that you forget about yourself. Elsa, if you don't take care of yourself how are you going to take care of your people?"

She lifted her head to look at him. He picked up her goblet and handed it to her, never breaking his gaze from hers. She hesitated, her eyes moving between the wine and his face repeatedly. Finally, she took the cup from him. He picked up his own and held it out for a toast. She gently pressed her cup against the edge of his.

"To your people." He said, his expression stern and serious. "May they forever be blessed with such a wise and beautiful queen."

Elsa began to blush and she quickly brought the cup to her mouth to conceal her reddening cheeks. She sipped softly at the sweet juice. Never had anything tasted so good. She set the goblet down on the table and looked at John whose eyebrows were raised, waiting for her judgment.

"And how is it?" He asked, his eyes imploring her.

"It's good!" She replied, honestly.

They sat in quiet reflection for a few moments, enjoying the wine. Then Elsa gently cleared her throat, turning her attention back to John.

"Kristoff doesn't think I should trust you." She said, abruptly. She waited for his reaction, but it never came. John only sat there silently, eyeing his wine as he swished it around in his cup. Finally, he put it down and looked at her.

"Is that your sister's fiancée?" He asked.

Elsa nodded. John paused for some time, choosing his words carefully.

"Is he a good man?"

Elsa clutched her goblet in both hands, trying to keep them from trembling.

"She could never find anyone better." She replied, nodding. "They deserve much more than what I can give them."

"What do you mean?" John asked, sincerely. Elsa took another sip of her wine before answering.

"They just got engaged." She said, looking away reflectively. "It's the most important event in their lives and I can't even celebrate it for them."

John considered her words for a moment, his eyes squinting. Then he sat up straight, inhaling sharply.

"Well, trust is a strange thing." He said, picking his cup up again. "But I can't say that I blame this…Kristoff, was it?"

Elsa nodded. John held the wine in his hand, staring at the wall thoughtfully. Then his gaze returned to Elsa.

"Arendelle has had a spot of bad luck with princes from the Southern Isles. I doubt I can say anything that will change his mind. Hopefully, my actions will eventually speak for themselves."

She nodded slowly, taking another sip before speaking again.

"He wonders if there even is a Prince John of the Southern Isles at all." Elsa said, not able to meet John's gaze. She sat like a statue, taking shallow breaths and staring into her goblet.

John set his cup down and studied her for a moment, analyzing her intentions. When he finally did speak his voice was calm and unfluctuating.

"No doubt your kingdom keeps records of all the royal birth announcements. Check your archives, hopefully that will be enough to put your mind at rest."

Of course! How had she not thought of that? She had received some of these announcements declaring the birth of a new prince or princess from a neighboring kingdom. But it never occurred to her to check her own archives for such a thing. She suddenly felt silly for asking the question. She could get Tobias to show her the royal archives and she could look for herself.

Suddenly, Elsa's heart froze and a look of shock and dread came over her face.

"Oh my God, Tobias!"

Her wine went spilling out of her hand and crashed to the floor. Spikes of ice exploded from her throne extending outward like the thorns of a vicious bramble. John leapt up from his chair and stumbled backwards, spilling his own wine into his lap in the process. Olaf came bounding into the room, worried and surprised.

Elsa recoiled from her throne and stepped away from John, her hands rising to cover her mouth.

"Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry!" She exclaimed

John's shock and surprise melted into laughter as he looked at his newly stained white breeches and the puddles of wine on the floor. Then he marveled at the wicked spikes of ice protruding from the throne.

"Well," he said, brushing the wine off his lap with his hands, "remind me never to get you mad!"

Elsa stood there, horrified. She removed her hands from her mouth and apologized profusely.

"It's quite all right." He said taking his seat again. "Fortunately, I travel with more than one change of clothes."

Elsa felt helpless, not knowing what to say or do. She wanted to escape, to run out of the room without stopping or looking back. But John motioned for her to sit down again. She looked at her throne like it was a poisonous snake and hesitated. Finally she sat.

"I am so sorry." She repeated.

"It's really nothing to worry about." He replied, smiling. "I've done much worse to better clothes."

He picked up the goblets off the floor and set them back on the table.

"But are you okay?"

Elsa sat motionless for some time before answering.

"Yes, I'm all right." She said, trying to sound convincing. She turned to see the snowman gazing at her from the archway.

"Olaf, please get a maid to clean this up." She requested. Olaf turned and went hopping out of the room and Elsa stared after him distractedly.

John looked at her, concerned.

"Clearly, something has bothered you. I hope it wasn't anything I said."

"What?" Elsa asked, breaking her train of thought. She looked back at John who was eyeing her closely.

"No, no. I just completely forgot about something important."

She looked at the mess on the floor.

"Would you like to get out of here?" She asked. "I'm certain you're dying to change."

"Yes, I'd love to get out of here." He replied, watching her every expression. "But the clothes can wait. A little wine never hurt anyone. How about giving me the grand tour?"

Elsa paused, trying to judge his sincerity. When she was satisfied, she stood up.

"Very well." She said.

She undid the clasp that held her cape on and draped it across the armrest of the throne. Then she walked toward the archway, gesturing for him to follow. They passed the maid and Olaf in the hallway and Elsa stopped to talk to the snowman again.

"Stay here." She told him. "Let me know if anyone comes looking for me."

"OK!" He replied merrily.

Elsa turned to leave and John followed closely behind her.

She took him to an open courtyard that was bereft of any plant life or furnishings, decorated only with the carcasses of once vibrant trees. A solitary bench sat empty in the middle of the brown, dying grass, bathed white in the pale light of the moon.

"This used to be the castle gardens." She explained, taking him to the bench and motioning for him to sit down. She took a seat beside him.

"Naturally, we couldn't maintain it. But I still come here sometimes when I want to be alone and think."

She lifted her head, staring at the glowing moon and what seemed like a million stars. John never took his eyes off her.

"What startled you so much back in the throne room?" He asked, gently.

Elsa looked back at him. His gaze was unswerving. She couldn't return it and looked down at her hands.

"Just before you arrived," she started, attempting to conceal her apprehension, "I commanded our last ship to go to our closest trading partner in Weselton. Out of desperation I agreed to trade Arendelle's finest plots of land in exchange for a single ship of water and food."

She looked back at John.

"I got so worried when I saw your ships coming that I completely forgot to call it back. It left this afternoon."

She fought hard to hold back tears and she looked quickly down at her hands again.

"I've made a terrible mistake." She said, exhaling softly.

"Well," John said, not disguising his concern, "It sounds as if I am partially to blame."

Elsa looked back up. When he continued his voice was full of reassurance.

"In that case, tomorrow morning I will send my fastest ship to Weselton. You can write a letter invalidating the previous contract and then you'll have nothing to worry about."

Elsa's brow softened and she tilted her head to one side.

"You would do that? For me?"

"My dear Elsa." He replied, his eyes locked firmly on hers. "Did I not say there was nothing I wouldn't do for Arendelle and its beautiful queen?"

Elsa looked away, unable to return his unwavering gaze.

"But what are you going to do for your people?" John asked, his voice calm and gentle.

She turned her head to face him, brows furrowed.

"What do you mean?"

John motioned toward the castle.

"You have all these new supplies and provisions." He said. "Don't you think this would be the perfect time to celebrate your sister's engagement?"

Elsa leaned back, her lips parting slightly.

"Celebrate?" She asked, incredulously. "At a time like this?"

John stood up and turned to her, holding out his hand, palm up. She paused for a moment, not understanding his intention. Then she took his hand and he gently pulled her towards him. He placed her gloved fingers in the crook of his elbow and led her towards a large wilted tree several paces away.

"Elsa," John said, looking up at the skeleton-like branches that hung in the air. "You have to focus on the things you can control."

He placed his hand on the gray, brittle skin of the tree, his eyes following hers.

"When the drought causes your trees to wither and die, what can you do about it?"

He stood there watching her, waiting for her reply.

"Nothing." She whispered.

"That's right, nothing."

She let go of his arm and he turned to face her. When he spoke again, his voice was both compassionate and stern.

"But when this drought causes the spirit of your people to wither and die, it is up to you as their Queen to refresh it."

She stared at him in quiet contemplation, not knowing how to reply. Neither one broke the silence for some time. Finally, John turned to face the door they had come through and offered his other elbow.

"As a proper gentleman I must have you back before midnight." He said, smiling. "May I escort you to your castle?"

Elsa placed the fingers of one hand upon his arm and together they headed back.


	6. Chapter 6

Elsa strolled aimlessly down the corridors of the castle which twisted and turned like she was in the belly of some giant snake. Though headed toward her bedroom, her mind was a whir with the events of the day and she paid little heed to which way she was going. She turned a corner and barely noticed Anna leaning up against the wall, watching her.

"Well, hello there stranger." Anna said, grinning. "How was your evening?"

Elsa stopped and turned toward her. It took her eyes a moment to find their focus.

"You're up late." Elsa said, deflecting the question. "Shouldn't you be in bed by now?"

"I could say the same for you!" Anna replied, stepping away from the wall and locking arms with her sister. They started marching slowly down the hall.

"So, tell me all about it!" Anna insisted, eyeing her sister mischievously.

They stopped in front of Elsa's door, turning to face each other.

"Tell you about what?" Elsa asked, sheepishly.

"Oh, come on!" Anna exclaimed, feigning frustration. "I have eyes and ears all over this castle. You think you could have a handsome young prince come visit you and I wouldn't know about it?"

Elsa attempted to play dumb for a moment longer but quickly abandoned the idea. She smiled, opened the door to her room and glanced both ways before entering. Gesturing for her sister to follow she crossed the room, sitting down on the edge of the bed as Anna leapt inside, practically slamming the door shut behind her. She plopped down next to Elsa and they sat facing each other, Anna leaning slightly forward, supporting herself on the palm of one hand. Elsa folded her gloved fingers neatly into her lap, not able to conceal her broadening smile. Anna spoke first, grinning back at her.

"Tell me everything!" She demanded, excitedly. "What was he wearing? What did you talk about? How long did he stay?"

Elsa sat quietly for a moment, deciding where to start. Anna leaned her head forward and lifted her eyebrows expectantly.

"Well," Elsa began, much to the delight of her sister, "he was wearing a fancy blue shirt and white breeches."

Her mouth dropped open and she buried her face in her hands.

"Which I spilled wine all over."

"Wine?" Anna asked, surprised. "You had wine?"

"Yes." Elsa said, her eyes raising to meet her sister's again. "And I scared him so bad he spilled it all over himself."

"Oh my!" Anna covered her mouth with one hand. "What happened?"

"I completely forgot about the ship I sent to Weselton."

Anna's eyes widened and she gasped.

"Oh no, so did I!"

Elsa looked down at her lap.

"How could I have forgotten? I could have stopped it, there was time."

She looked back at her sister, frowning.

"When I realized my mistake I lost control of my powers. I startled John so bad he spilled his wine right into his lap."

Elsa's voice dropped to a whisper.

"I wanted to die!"

"I can't believe it!" Anna said, taking her sister's hands into hers. "What did he do?"

A faint smile crossed Elsa's lips.

"Nothing." She replied. "He just laughed. Then we went to the castle gardens and talked."

Anna lifted her sister's hands up slightly and then let them down again.

"I'm so happy it all worked out."

They sat quietly for a while. Anna hesitated before breaking the silence.

"What are you going to do about the duke?" She asked, waiting for Elsa's reaction. But her sister only folded her hands back into her lap and smiled.

"John is sending his fastest ship in the morning with a letter from me canceling the contract."

"That's wonderful!" Anna said, dropping her shoulders and pressing her lips together.

Elsa nodded and looked away, her mind retracing the events of the evening. Then she looked back at her sister who was sitting there, quietly studying her.

"How's Kristoff?" Elsa asked.

Anna shrugged.

"We had an argument." She stated, matter-of-factly. "He's convinced that John is here to overthrow the kingdom."

Elsa stood up and turned away, crossing her arms. She walked slowly across the room, her eyes cast downward

"Well," She said, thoughtfully. "It doesn't hurt to be cautious."

She turned back to face Anna.

"Which reminds me, there's something I have to do."

She spun around briskly and headed out the door, leaving Anna to stare after her in confusion.

# # # # # #

It was late and Elsa knew Tobias would be sleeping. Still, she needed to know and she couldn't wait until the morning. She sat fidgeting in her throne, softly drumming the tips of her gloved fingers upon the padded surface of its armrests. At last she heard the soft steps of Olaf and Tobias ccoming down the hall toward the room. She got up and met them at the archway before they could enter. What remained of Tobias' black hair was a ratted mess and his eyes were pasted together with sleep. His hand clutched the pulsing light of a newly lit lantern, the little snowman beaming proudly in its ghostly glow.

"Thank you, Olaf." She said. "Now please stay here until I get back."

He happily complied after which Tobias led Elsa down the hall to a small door at the far end. They opened it and passed through to a short flight of stairs that ascended to another door. Tobias stepped forward, fumbling with a ring of keys as he tried various ones in the lock until it disengaged. Elsa turned the handle and pushed hard on the door to get it to open, which it finally did, whining in protest.

She blinked repeatedly, trying to get her eyes to adjust to the darkness of the room. It was rather large and nothing could be seen in the dim light of the lantern, even though Tobias held it up high in front of his face. Using its flame, he went from sconce to sconce and lit each torch in succession until he had completed a circuit around the room. Soon the entire space was awash in the flickering glow of the torchlight, sending ghastly shadows dancing up and down the walls.

Elsa carefully examined the contents of the room, one she had never been in before. Down the center of it were rows of tables that contained boxes of differing sorts and dimensions. The walls were lined with shelves upon shelves of books, parchments, rolls of paper and lock boxes of various sizes. Everything was coated with a thick layer of dust like a protective skin and the abandoned work of many spiders connected one object to another in a fine, silky lattice throughout the entire room.

Tobias motioned for her to follow as he headed for one corner in particular. When he found the table he was looking for he started shifting the boxes on it, sending plumes of dust into the air and cobwebs scattering. Elsa coughed and turned her face away just as Tobias let out a cry of success. He dragged a medium sized box to the edge of the table where he picked it up, carrying it over to an empty desk in the middle of the room. He set the box down on top of it and gently lifted off its cover. Elsa peered curiously at the jumbled contents inside which included papers, envelopes and other stationery.

"This is it!" Tobias said, excitedly. "This box contains all the records of births, marriages and deaths of all royals and dignitaries in Arendelle for the last fifty years."

He shoved the box over closer to her, beaming proudly.

"It should also include any royal birth and wedding announcements from other kingdoms during that time."

"Thank you, Tobias." Elsa said, as she began to rummage through its contents.

"Would you like me to stay, Your Majesty?" Tobias asked.

Elsa looked up at him.

"No, thank you. You can go. Just leave the keys for me and I'll lock up when I'm done."

"As you wish." He said, bowing. He set the ring of keys on the table next to her before walking out the door, softly closing it behind him.

Elsa began carefully searching through the papers and other items which all appeared to be official documents of one kind or another. As Tobias had told her, most of them were related to various royals and dignitaries of Arendelle. But one section, labeled "Royal Birth Announcements," appeared to contain records from both Arendelle and its surrounding kingdoms. Fortunately, the birth records of the Southern Isles were quite easily located as it was the largest of them all. She pulled them out and set them on the table in front of her, flipping through the short pile one page at a time. They didn't appear to be in any particular order as the dates of the births were all jumbled and she didn't recognize any of the names, except Hans'. As she neared the end of the stack her apprehension began to swell, fearing she would not find what she came looking for. But she breathed a heavy sigh of relief when she looked at the last paper in the stack. There it was, printed in large calligraphy letters, announcing Prince John as the newest addition to the royal family of the Southern Isles. The birth date he provided her matched the date on the announcement.

She took a step back from the table, her heart slowing to a more normal rate. She frowned at the dust caked on her gloves and went to wipe them on her dress but then thought better of it. Quickly glancing around the room she searched for something she could use to wipe her hands with. After finding nothing, Elsa carefully picked the papers back up off the table and went to return them to the box when something caught her eye. It sat there, poking up from the other documents just enough for her to see the name written on it. Interested, she gently extracted it from amongst the other papers in order to examine it. It was the official announcement of her father's birth which had probably been sent to the royal families of every other kingdom. She blew on the paper trying to dislodge the dust and grime that prevented her from reading the entire document. What she saw astounded her.

The record was definitely a birth announcement, as her father's name was clearly printed in bright, bold letters. But just below his name were printed the words "and Princess Inger."

She looked up from the paper, her eyebrows knitted together in confusion. Had her father been a twin? Why had he never mentioned a sister to them before? Elsa examined the form again to ensure that she hadn't made a mistake. It just didn't make any sense, but there the name was, printed clearly below his own. Princess Inger.

Perhaps Inger had died as a baby, she thought. She set it back in the box and started to grab for the lid when she recalled Tobias telling her that royal death records could be found here also. Propelled by curiosity she sorted through all the papers with renewed interest. It wasn't long before she found the prize she was searching for, however, what she discovered puzzled her. According to the death record, Princess Inger had been lost at sea at the age of nineteen.

Elsa stared at the two pieces of paper trying to make sense of them. Why would her father have concealed from his daughters the existence of a twin sister, their own aunt? She looked at the documents again. Had she made a mistake? Was she misinterpreting them? She continued examining paper after paper and opening box after box, trying to discover any additional clues that would help solve the mystery. After a while, dozens of open boxes littered the tables and floor and tall columns of sorted papers were stacked every which way. She had no idea how much time had passed before she heard the frantic steps of someone racing up the stairway. She looked at the door just in time to see Alek bursting through it.

"Your Majesty!" He exclaimed, panting and out of breath. "We've been looking everywhere for you!"

"What is it?" Elsa inquired urgently, standing up from where she had been crouched on the ground. She had never seen Alek so distraught.

"The ships..." was all he could say before turning around and bolting back out the way he had come. She rushed out after him, running down the steps and toward the hallway on the other side of the open door. When she passed through it the first thing she saw was John standing in his pajamas at an open window which overlooked the docks. His mouth hung open and his face was as white as a sheet. She rushed over to the window and couldn't believe what she saw. Every ship in her harbor was in flames.

With considerable effort John tore his gaze away from the window to look at her, finding an expression of abject terror and disbelief frozen on her face. She turned to look at him, wide eyed.

"Clearly, you have a traitor in Arendelle." He said.


	7. Chapter 7

Elsa strained to open her eyes, feeling like she was trying to pry apart locked windows. She squinted painfully at the sunlight that was spilling into her bedroom between the open curtains. Through the thin lining of her canopy she could see the bright disk of the sun suspended in the sky. Judging by its position she knew it was sometime around midmorning. Mercifully, her staff hadn't awakened her but she was still suffering the effects of a half night's sleep. She had finally retired from the tumultuous events of the previous evening but not before she had seen the first rays of the dawn peeking over the mountains.

She raised herself and swung her legs out to dangle over the edge of the bed as she used the backs of her hands to rub the sleep out of the corner of her eyes. Then she stood, taking a moment to tie her hair up in a bun and choose a dress out of her clothes chest. Before changing out of her nightgown she noticed a small amount of water in the bottom of her washbasin and a platter of food sitting next to it, both silent reminders of Prince John's generosity. Elsa used the water to freshen up and took a few bites of the food before slipping into her dress and pulling on her shoes. Finally, she fitted her tiara neatly into her hair and put on her gloves. Stepping to the door she slowly pulled it open intending to leave, but a guard stationed next to the doorway startled her.

"Oh! Hello." She said, quickly recovering. "Have you been out here all morning?"

"Yes, Your Majesty." The guard replied without looking at her. "Alek gave us orders that you are to be kept under guard at all times."

"Very well." She responded, entering the hallway and closing the door behind her. "I'm headed to the throne room."

The guard reacted immediately. Abandoning his station next to the door he proceeded to lead her to her desired destination. She followed close behind, warily watching for any signs of activity. When they arrived at the throne room Olaf greeted them merrily.

"Good morning!" He said, smiling.

"Good morning, Olaf." Elsa replied curtly as she hurried through the archway and entered the room. . The guard remained just outside, his focus intently fixed on the hallway. She quickly went over to the Eastern window

Elsa looked in dismay at the tragedy that was Arendelle's harbor. In the full light of the sun, she could see that every ship was a complete loss. One had sunk due to the damage it sustained and only its mast could be seen rising from the waters like a slender grave marker. The other two ships appeared to be little more than the charred remains of the once mighty vessels they had been.

She turned away from the window, shaking her head in disbelief as she walked toward the throne. She sat down slowly, her fingers rising to press against her throbbing temples. Who could have done this? Why would anyone ever do such a thing? She bent over, burying her face in her hands. She had no idea how long she'd been sitting there before she heard Anna's voice calling out to her.

"Elsa!" She heard her exclaim. "It's freezing in here!"

Elsa raised her head to see her sister standing just inside the archway, her eyes examining the room with a mix of fear and wonder. Then she looked in horror at what captivated Anna's attention. Thick veins of frosty ice emanated from her throne and meandered across the floor in every direction where they began climbing up the walls, terminating in barbed icicles that protruded out like spikes. Anna took a few steps forward before Elsa stopped her.

"No, Anna!" She warned. "It's not safe here."

Her sister ignored her protests, continuing to approach the throne.

"What happened to the ships?" She asked in a tone more of curiosity than fear.

"I don't know yet." Elsa responded. "It's possible someone deliberately lit them on fire."

Anna stared at Elsa, clearly puzzled.

"Who would do that?"

Elsa's voice became more insistent.

"I don't know Anna, but you need to leave before you get hurt."

Anna had no time to reply as a ruckus was brewing outside the throne room.

"Let me in!"

Elsa immediately recognized John's voice.

"You are not allowed!" The guard replied, defiantly.

"LET ME IN!" John demanded angrily.

"It's all right." Elsa called out to the guard. "He may enter."

The guard said something to John she couldn't understand and then he appeared through the archway. Anna turned to look at him.

"Your Majesty." The guard said, pausing to observe all the ice. He snapped his attention back to Elsa.

"I have strict orders to keep Prince John out of the throne room."

Elsa's expression grew stern.

"Well, I am your queen, and I am telling you he may enter."

The guard bowed.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

He disappeared out the archway and a few moments later John entered, his eyes slowly scanning the room.

"Whoa!" He said, in amazement.

"John, you can't stay here." Elsa told him, a look of worry upon her face. "It's not safe."

John tore his eyes away from the ice and fixed them firmly on Elsa.

"Elsa." He said, his voice calm and reassuring. "What's got you so upset?"

Elsa looked at him, dumbstruck.

"John." She replied, her voice fraught with emotion. "You lost every ship you brought here!"

John began slowly walking toward her, smiling and keeping his eyes firmly fixed on hers.

"Oh." He said nonchalantly, waving one hand. "That's not so bad."

He stopped a few steps in front of the throne.

"However, I will say this. If you wanted to keep the handsome young prince from leaving, all you had to do was ask."

Elsa's head tilted to one side, her eyebrows bunching together. Anna noticed the ice had begun retreating from the walls.

"How can you joke at a time like this?" Elsa said, leaning forward in her seat. "Now you're stranded here. How will you get home?"

John took another step forward. His gaze was intense, but she didn't look away.

"What makes you think I want to leave?" He asked, softly.

Elsa sat back in her throne trying to process his words. Anna watched the ice slowly evaporate from the floor and eventually disappear altogether. Just then, Alek burst into the room and John stepped aside turning to look at him.

"Your Majesty." Alek began, hastily. "I have given strict orders to my men to keep Prince John away from you."

He stood there looking hard at Elsa, clutching what looked like a small plank of wood in his hands. It was charred on both ends.

"I am aware of your orders." Elsa responded.

Alek looked at John who made no expression, then he continued, choosing his words carefully.

"I just think it would be wise, until we can find out who did this."

Elsa paused, her gaze shifting toward John as she considered the advice. Then she looked back at Alek.

"Until we have reason to believe otherwise, neither Prince John nor his men will be treated as enemies of Arendelle."

Alek hesitated for a long time before replying.

"Yes, Your Majesty." He said, finally. He took a step forward and raised the wooden plank in one hand so Elsa could inspect it.

"We were able to salvage this piece of wood from one of the ships that was destroyed."

He glared at John.

"It reeks of whale oil."

He threw the plank down on the ground in front of the throne.

"This was no accident. Someone sabotaged those ships."

Elsa's eyes fell upon the burned chunk of wood lying on the floor. They remained there for a few moments before returning to Alek.

"I want to know who did this." She said sternly.

"Your Majesty..." Alek began, glancing at John, but Elsa cut him off.

"No. I don't want theories or baseless accusations."

She stared at Alek, who looked back at her angrily.

"I just want to know who did this."

Alek stood motionless for a long time, his eyebrows gathering like storms on his brow.

"Yes, Your Majesty." He said at last through clenched teeth. Then he left the room, stopping to give some additional instructions to the guard, and disappeared down the hall.

Elsa looked back at John who turned to face her.

"John." She said, exhaling sharply. "I need to know that I can trust you."

John watched her carefully for a moment before speaking. When he did address her, his voice was calm and respectful.

"Your Highness." He said, pausing for a moment before continuing. "Trust is not something that can be given, it must be earned."

Elsa scrunched her eyebrows together, not knowing what to make of his response.

"But I can promise you," He continued, "that I will do everything I can to earn your trust."

Elsa leaned back in her throne and shifted her attention to Anna who stood there watching them. John followed Elsa's gaze and then looked back at her, his expression softening.

"Haven't you had enough of all this gloom and doom?" He asked, turning fully to face Elsa. "Might I suggest we discuss a happier subject?"

Elsa examined him with a look of confusion.

"What could we possibly have to be happy about?"

John smiled broadly at her.

"Why, the party of course!"

"Party?" Anna asked, puzzled, walking over to stand beside him. "What party?"

Elsa smiled at her.

"John suggested that we use some of these new provisions to throw an engagement party for you and Kristoff."

Anna eyed John curiously.

"Really?" She said, surprised. She looked back at Elsa. "You don't have to do that."

Elsa stood up and walked to her sister, grabbing her hands in her own.

"We need to continue living our lives, Anna, and no one deserves to have her engagement celebrated more than you do."

She reached out to remove a strand of hair from Anna's face. Anna was grinning uncontrollably and leapt forward to embrace her sister.

"Thank you!" She cried out excitedly. She took a step back, her eyes wide, her closed fists pressing against her lips muffling a squeal of delight. She looked at John and threw her arms around his neck, squeezing tightly. His eyes flew open and he looked at Elsa who just stood there grinning. Anna quickly let go and stepped away awkwardly, clasping her hands before her.

"Sorry." She said, a tinge of excitement still in her voice. She turned back to Elsa.

"Wait, what am I going to wear?" She asked, a look of shock seizing her face. "What's Kristoff going to wear? Who are we going to invite?"

"I'll take care of that." Elsa said, returning to her throne.

She called out for Olaf in the hallway who immediately came trotting in.

"Fetch Tobias for me, please." Elsa asked.

Olaf turned and disappeared out the archway. She looked back at John and Anna.

"We'll send out invitations by lottery. I want as many to attend as possible but it will have to be a small party, the ballroom just can't hold very many people."

She turned away, looking thoughtfully at the ground. John cleared his throat and raised one finger.

"If I may make a suggestion." He offered.

Elsa turned to face him.

"Yes, of course."

"Why not have it in the courtyard? It's much larger than the ballroom and the weather is lovely this time of year."

He raised his eyebrows and shrugged his shoulders.

"And it's not like you have to worry about the rain."

Elsa straightened her back and looked aside, considering the possibility.

"Yes, that's a great idea." She said, returning her gaze to John. "In fact, it's perfect."

She looked back at Anna.

"We shouldn't delay preparations, either. We've got plenty of manpower now that John and his men are here, so it won't take long to set everything up. I know it can't be extravagant, nothing like the real party you ought to have, but it will be a celebration nonetheless. And you deserve at least that much."

Anna smiled and clasped her hands under her chin.

"Oh, Elsa, it will be wonderful!"

John stood smiling, his hands held behind his back.

"My men will be happy to help." He said. "They'll be grateful for something to keep their minds off of the current situation."

Elsa nodded in agreement. No one spoke for a few moments as they all considered the implications of the new arrangements. Elsa was the first to break the silence.

"John," she said, turning her attention to him. "would you please excuse us?"

John looked at Anna and then back to Elsa.

"Of course, Your Highness."

He bowed deeply and turned on his heel, leaving the room. Anna watched him go and then looked back at Elsa.

"Is everything all right?" Anna inquired.

Elsa sat there thinking for a long while, her eyes peering vacantly at the wall. Then they focused on Anna who was waiting for her to begin.

"Did you know we had an aunt?" Elsa asked suddenly.

Anna's face grew dark.

"An aunt?" She repeated. "What do you mean?"

Elsa stood up and slowly walked to the center of the room, passing Anna in the process. Then she turned to face her, her gloved hands interlaced together.

"It would seem that father had a twin." She said, coldly.

"What?" Anna gasped, walking over to stand by her sister. "How do you know that?"

"I was in the archives last night looking for proof that Prince John is who he says he is. I found father's birth announcement. Only it had another name on it, too. Princess Inger."

Anna cast her eyes to the ground, trying to absorb this information. Then she looked back up at Elsa.

"Maybe she died as a baby."

Elsa nodded.

"Yes, that's exactly what I thought. But I found her death record, too. It says she was lost at sea at the age of nineteen."

Anna's mouth opened and she leaned her head back, bewildered.

"Why wouldn't father tell us that?" She asked.

Just then Tobias entered the room, dressed in the same brown robes he always wore.

"You called, Your Majesty?"

Elsa returned to her throne and sat down, looking at Tobias.

"I want Anna to have complete access to the castle archives. Anything she needs, anything she asks for you are to comply with. Do you understand?"

Tobias bowed.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Elsa looked at her sister.

"Anna, I want you to see what you can find out about this Princess Inger. I don't like secrets in my castle and I intend to find out why father kept her existence a secret from us."

Elsa smiled.

"Plus, it will keep you out of the way while we're planning your party."

Anna feigned injury at the comment and was about to leave when Kristoff entered the room. Anna went to him and embraced him excitedly.

"We're going to have an engagement party!" She told him, grinning from ear to ear.

Kristoff looked at Elsa, his expression stern.

"What kind of engagement party?" He asked.

Elsa rose and went to the window overlooking her harbor. John and his men were hard at work dismantling the two remaining ships, salvaging anything that hadn't been destroyed in the fire.

"Oh," she said casually while watching the men work. "just your standard engagement ball; drinks, music and dancing."

She turned back to face Kristoff.

"Nothing extravagant, like you deserve. But a celebration of this sort could do wonders for lifting the people's spirits."

Kristoff left Anna's side and approached Elsa, an expression of concern on his face.

"Do you think that's the wisest use of Arendelle's resources?"

Elsa scowled and returned to her throne.

"That's not for you to decide." She responded angrily, staring at the wall.

Kristoff glanced out the window at the remains of the boats and then took up a position before Elsa. Anna came over to stand next to him, grasping his hand.

"I know, I know." He said. "But if we don't find water we're going to need every one of those provisions to last as long as possible, especially with the additional men to provide for."

Elsa sat forward, trying not to grimace.

"You don't think I know that?"

She paused, leaning back in her throne to examine the cloudless sky through the window. Her tone was softer when she continued.

"A couple of days' worth of provisions is not going to save Arendelle if this drought continues."

She folded her hands in her lap, looking back at Kristoff.

"Besides, what good will it be if my people survive the drought with a broken spirit?"

Kristoff stood quietly for a moment, considering her words. Then he shook his head.

"That doesn't sound like the practical queen I've come to know." He stated coolly.

His attention was drawn toward the window overlooking the harbor, then he looked back at Elsa.

"Was this John's idea?"

Elsa frowned, her eyes narrowing into slits.

"Why would that matter?" She asked, agitated by the question that sounded more like an accusation.

Kristoff sighed and shook his head again.

"Are you still going to trust him after what happened last night?"

Elsa stared at him, incredulously.

"You think he lit his own ships on fire?" She scoffed, looking to Anna for support. Anna just stood there watching them, brows furrowed. Elsa's eyes snapped back to Kristoff.

"Why would he do that?"

Kristoff put his hands on his head and turned, taking a step away. Then he spun back to face her, his arms raising along with his voice.

"Because now he's stuck here and can take his time to execute whatever evil plan he has in mind for Arendelle!"

He took a step forward to stand next to Anna again. Elsa's head dropped slightly and she glared at Kristoff through the tops of her eyes, her frown deepening.

"Elsa," Kristoff continued, "you've got to see through this charade! You can't let John finish what Hans started!"

Elsa shot up out of her seat.

"John is not Hans!" She exclaimed angrily, jabbing her finger toward the harbor window. "And I will not have my decisions questioned by an ice deliverer!"

Anna gasped and put one hand over her mouth. Kristoff's jaw dropped and his eyebrows slipped down around his eyes. Elsa sat, a look of shock appearing on her face.

"I'm sorry, Kristoff." She whispered, putting the fingers of one hand over her lips. Then she took them away, straining to stabilize her voice. "I didn't mean it."

Kristoff hardened his expression and clenched his jaw. Anna tried to take his hand but he shook her off. He inhaled deeply before speaking again.

"I would like permission to take a delivery of water to my family." He said, coldly.

Elsa's heart sank within her. She had hurt the one man who would do anything for Arendelle and its queen. The man who had her sister's heart. Of course she had agreed to support his adoptive family, a group of rock trolls who had taken him in as an orphan. The same trolls who had saved her sister's life as a child after Elsa had almost killed her in a freak accident involving her powers. Their need for water was meager and their group was small so it was well within her ability to allow Kristoff to deliver water to them. Especially considering that his position as Arendelle's official ice master and deliverer had all but been destroyed by the unending drought. Caring for his family was one of the few things he had left to give him any purpose.

"Of course." Elsa said, her voice a whisper. "Just please wait until after your party."

Kristoff looked at Anna and then turned to go. Anna eyed Elsa angrily and then went chasing after him, putting one hand on his shoulder. Kristoff turned to face her.

"No, Anna." He said. "I need to be alone."

He turned and exited through the archway, leaving Anna to stare after him helplessly.

Anna turned to face Elsa, her shoulders dropping and her head tilting to one side.

"How could you?" She muttered softly. Then she turned to leave.

Elsa listened to the quiet drum of her feet slowly fading away.


	8. Chapter 8

Elsa sat in her throne, hanging her head and trembling. She raised one hand to cover her face and quietly wept into the soft palm of her glove. She couldn't rid her mind of the words she had so thoughtlessly spoken to Kristoff. How could she have been so callous? The image of Anna's face hung like a specter before her mind's eye and she was unable to break free from the piercing accusation of its gaze. She sniffed and exhaled loudly, dabbing at her eyes with the back of her gloved hand. She couldn't spend the day feeling sorry for herself, there was no time for such worthless endeavors. She needed to get busy planning her sister's party, even if it meant she had to do it alone.

However, she wasn't alone. Olaf was all too excited to be able to help her. As they went from room to room, shadowed by one of Alek's men, Olaf danced merrily about Elsa, laughing and giggling as they discovered the hidden treasures they were searching for. Despite the somber events of the past twenty-four hours, Elsa often found herself not only smiling but laughing at the little snowman's antics. But Olaf could tell that she was not her usual joyful self. As they entered a room full of spare furniture, the guard took up a station outside in the hall. Elsa began digging through the various items littered about the room but Olaf didn't immediately join her. He watched her carefully for a little while before hopping over to her side.

"Elsa." He said with a serious expression on his little snowman face. "Are you happy?"

Elsa seemed surprised at the question and she stopped what she was doing to look at him.

"Of course I'm happy, Olaf." She replied, pressing her lips tightly together as she peered down at him. "How could I not be happy with you here?"

Olaf's arms dropped to his side. He cocked his head slightly and blinked twice before continuing.

"Does your face know that you're happy?" He asked sincerely.

"Oh, Olaf!" Elsa exclaimed softly, turning to face him. She got down on her knees, sitting on her feet.

"I have so much to be happy about!" She said, pinching the end of his carrot nose. "I have you. I have a beautiful sister who loves me and she's getting married to a wonderful man who adores her."

She glanced around the room at the piles of forgotten belongings she had been digging through.

"And I get to throw an engagement ball so they can see how much I love them."

Olaf plopped down on his hind quarters, his feet sticking out in front of him.

"Then why do you look so sad today?" He asked.

Elsa bit on the inside of her cheek and exhaled softly. She could see the earnestness in the snowman's expression.

"Well," she started, hesitating for a moment, "sometimes we say things that we don't really mean and when we do, we end up hurting the people that we love the most."

She paused, watching Olaf's expression to see if he understood. He was in deep thought for quite some time before responding.

"Then why don't you just not say those things." He offered simply.

"Yes, that's very wise advice." She said, smiling at him. "But sometimes we make mistakes and say things that we can't unsay."

Olaf nodded and sat in quiet contemplation. When he continued, his voice was innocent and inquisitive.

"Does Prince John make you happy?"

Elsa's eyebrows raised and then quickly furrowed at the question.

"That's a strange thing to ask." She said, looking thoughtfully at the snowman.

She inhaled deeply, tilted her head, and glanced up at the ceiling through the corner of her eyes before looking back at Olaf.

"Yes, I suppose he does."

Olaf nodded.

"Then why does he make the guards so angry?"

Elsa thought about this for a moment. She squinted and pursed her lips.

"I don't think they trust him."

His eyes grew wide in surprise.

"Why not?"

"Because he's a stranger."

Olaf leaned forward, placing his hands on his feet.

"Do you trust him?"

Elsa's expression went blank. She stared into the snowman's imploring eyes but made no reply. Finally, she leaned back and stood up. Olaf quickly followed suit, hopping up on his feet.

"I don't know, Olaf." She said curtly. "It's complicated."

Olaf continued to watch her, waiting for her response. She exhaled sharply, dropping her shoulders. Then she turned back to the task at hand.

"Come on, we've got a lot of work to do."

With that, they began combing through the items in the room looking for anything they could use.

With the aid of some castle staff, Elsa and Olaf spent the rest of the day gathering the various supplies, furniture, fabrics, place settings and food stuffs required for the ball. They stored them in an empty room near the front of the castle which was now barely illuminated by the fading light of the setting sun.

She examined the items they had collected. It was a ragtag assortment of goods assembled from leftovers, donations and untradeable property. A frown creased her face as she remembered how excited Anna had been to announce her engagement. Her sister deserved to have so much more. Elsa felt like it was just another let down in a long list of ways she had managed to fail the people she cared about most.

Calling for her staff to bring in torches, they retreated to an empty bedroom in the West wing of the castle. Olaf was helping her lay out and trim long sheets of fabric for decoration when Tobias entered, carrying with him a lantern and holding a flat bundle of envelopes neatly tied together with a red string. Elsa immediately went to retrieve them.

"The invitations are complete, Your Majesty." He said as he released the stack to her. "As you requested, we chose families by lottery. However, our records are incomplete and some of these people may no longer live in Arendelle."

"It's alright, Tobias." Elsa said, untying the envelopes. "I took that into consideration and had you create more than I needed."

She flipped through them one by one, closely examining their handiwork. Normally, trained scribes would have assisted him in such a project but regular castle staff had to suffice on this occasion. After studying the last one she looked at the snowman who was getting tangled in a pile of fabric like a kitten playing with yarn.

"Olaf." She called out, smiling.

He quickly extracted himself from the mess he had made only to realize that one of his stick arms had become dislodged in the tangled cloth. He reached back into the intertwining fabric and began fishing frantically for the lost member. When he found it, he chuckled triumphantly and stuck it back on. Then he came hopping over to Elsa who got down on one knee to address him.

"Do you think you could deliver these, tonight?" She asked, handing him the stack of envelopes.

Olaf's eyes became wide with excitement and he nodded his head energetically.

"Absolutely!" He exclaimed.

Elsa gave him some additional instruction before he grabbed the envelopes from her and went bounding out the door.

She turned back to Tobias.

"Have you seen Anna or Kristoff?" She asked, exhaling heavily and massaging the back of her neck.

"Anna and I spent most of the day in the archives." Tobias replied. "I believe she went to find Kristoff after we parted ways."

Elsa nodded.

"Thank you." She replied, turning her attention back to the pile of fabric.

Tobias bowed before excusing himself and she set upon the knotted mess Olaf had left her.

She worked on the decorations until her sources of light began to lose their potency and every fabric started to look the same. She stood up to stretch her back and gestured to the guard indicating she was ready to leave. He picked up a lantern sitting near the doorway and borrowed the flame of a burning torch to light it. Then, after extinguishing all the torches they had brought, they made their way toward the throne room. Elsa was hoping she'd see John there but was not disappointed when she found Anna waiting in the hall, clutching a small leather tote bag. Elsa went running to her, grabbing her in her arms. She could not fight back the tears that began to stream down her cheeks.

"I'm so sorry, Anna!" She cried softly.

Anna returned the embrace, hugging her sister tightly. They remained that way for a moment as Elsa quickly tried to regain her composure. When she did, she took a step back to look at Anna.

"I don't know why I said what I did." She said, slowly shaking her head. "I think Kristoff is a wonderful man and I'm so happy for the both of you."

Anna smiled.

"I know." She said, softly.

Elsa dabbed at her eyes with one finger.

"Is Kristoff alright?" She asked, concerned.

Anna shrugged.

"You know Kristoff." She replied. "He's impossible to read. He spent the entire day with Sven doing who knows what."

Elsa's eyes dropped to the floor and her thoughts turned toward Sven, the reindeer that served as Kristoff's sleigh carrier and companion. She pressed her lips together and softened her brow as she considered the powerful friendship that had been forged between a human and an animal. Kristoff had spent most of his life as a loner, harvesting ice in the surrounding mountains with only the companionship of his reindeer to keep him company. Although he was a bit rough around the edges, he was fiercely loyal to his friends and family. But he was equally passionate about his distrust of strangers. Elsa could not fault him for being so wary about Prince John's intentions.

Elsa's eyes returned to Anna.

"Tobias said you spent most of the day in the archives."

She nodded her head.

"Did you find anything?"

Anna glanced at the guard standing just a few steps away.

"Yes, but can we talk somewhere else?"

"Of course." Elsa replied.

They headed toward Elsa's room, walking silently and sticking close to the soft glow of the lantern. When they arrived at their destination, the guard handed the light to Elsa who used it to start the candles in her room. After the task was complete, she returned it to the guard and closed the door, leaving him to stand watch in the hall. Elsa then proceeded to sit on the bed and Anna lowered herself into a chair, setting her bag on top of the nightstand next to it. Elsa studied her face for some hint of the news she bore, but her expression revealed nothing.

"Well?" Elsa asked. "What did you find?"

Anna sat forward in her seat, her eyes reflecting the light of the glowing candles.

"It's not so much what I found as what I didn't find." She said in a hushed tone.

"What do you mean?" Elsa inquired.

Anna paused for a moment, her lips pursing on the side of her mouth.

"This Princess Inger, it's like she never existed." She said. "There are no accounts of her activities, no official records relating to any of her deeds, no pictures, no portraits, nothing."

She looked at the night sky through Elsa's open window.

"It's like she was erased from history."

Elsa sat there confused.

"So you didn't find anything?" She asked.

Anna leaned back in her chair, placing her hands gently on the armrests.

"I did find out one thing about her."

Elsa sat forward on the bed.

"Really, what was it?"

"I know where she was going when she was lost at sea."

The flickering light of the candles cast eerie shadows across Anna's face as she waited for her to continue. When she didn't, Elsa gently prodded her.

"Well, where was she going?"

Anna stood up and walked over to the bed, sitting next to her sister.

"I cross-referenced the date on her death record with the official court records of Arendelle. I had to go back a couple more days, but I found it."

She glanced at the door and lowered her voice to a whisper.

"Princess Inger was charged by the king with crimes against Arendelle and was banished, sentenced to live the rest of her life on an uninhabited island."

Elsa looked away, her eyes wide with shock. Crimes against Arendelle? What could she have done? She thought about her own banishment of the Duke of Weselton, but this was different. Princess Inger was driven out of the only home she had ever known and sent to live the rest of her life alone in an isolated place, never able to return. Strangely, it was a fate she could sympathize with all too well.

Her eyes snapped back to Anna.

"She never made it." Elsa said.

Anna shook her head.

"The death record indicates that she was lost at sea just a couple of days later."

She scooted over on the bed to get closer to Elsa.

"But do you know who the king was who banished her?" Anna asked.

Elsa's mouth dropped open in sudden realization.

"Father." She whispered hoarsely.

Anna nodded.

"Yep. And according to court records, he had been sworn in as king only a few days before."

Elsa stood up and began pacing the room, folding her gloved hands within her crossed arms.

"Wait, what happened to grandfather?" She asked, looking up at Anna suddenly.

Anna shrugged.

"I don't know. No record exists to tell us."

Elsa looked at Anna, puzzled.

"What? That can't be right. No record of the king's death?"

"Nope."

Elsa stood there silently considering this before looking at the bag on her nightstand.

"What's that?" She asked curiously.

Anna reached out to grab it and stuck her hand inside, pulling out a thick, leather bound book.

"It's the other thing I found."

She handed it to Elsa who inspected it. The book was completely covered in thick leather which was decorated with various strange designs and symbols. She could feel that it was made of a harder material underneath, possibly some kind of metal or wood. It had a spine so it could be opened but was held shut by a heavy lock mechanism. Despite her best efforts she could not find a key hole or any obvious means of unlocking it.

"What is it?" Elsa asked, turning it over in her hands.

"You don't recognize it?"

"No." Elsa replied. "Should I?"

Anna shrugged.

"I remember seeing father writing in it once as a child. I only remember because of the unusual markings it had."

She pointed at the cover of the book.

"I think it's his diary."

Elsa sat down on the bed next to her and held it up in the air trying to get more light to it.

"How do you open it?" She asked.

"I don't know. Tobias didn't have any idea either. I was hoping you would know."

Elsa set the book down on the night stand.

"I'll show it to John tomorrow." She said. "Maybe he'll have an idea."

Anna nodded and stood up. She was about to leave when Elsa stopped her.

"By the way, I had Olaf deliver the invitations to your engagement ball tonight."

Anna's eyes lit up with surprise.

"Already?" She exclaimed.

"Yes, absolutely." Elsa replied, nodding. "Why put it off?"

Anna returned to the chair.

"I don't know." She said, knitting her brow and staring at the wall. "It just seems so sudden, considering all that's happened over the past couple of days."

She looked back at Elsa.

"When will it be? Will we have enough time to plan?"

Elsa kneeled down next to her.

"We're going to have it the day after tomorrow. Between the castle staff and John's men to help we should have no problem being ready in time."

"The day after tomorrow?" Anna asked, unbelieving. Then the reality of it sank in and her lips spread broadly in a smile. She threw her arms around her sister's neck.

"Oh, Elsa." She said, happily. "Thank you!"

Elsa hugged her back and then stood up before continuing.

"Now, you had better get a good night's rest." She commanded playfully. "We've got a lot to do over the next couple of days!"

Anna stood up, hugged her again, and then disappeared out the door. Elsa changed into her nightgown, blew out the candles, and was asleep before her head hit the pillow.

She awoke early the next morning, changed quickly, and rushed to the throne room with the leather book cradled in one arm. After greeting Olaf she went inside and sat down, waiting for John to appear. When he didn't, she sent a guard to retrieve him. He arrived a short time later wearing worn leather boots and faded trousers. He removed a wide brimmed hat as he entered.

"Good morning." She greeted.

"Good morning!" He replied happily as he walked to the throne, stopping to bow. "Please excuse my appearance, my men and I are in the midst of dismantling the ships."

"I know." Elsa said, smiling. "And how is that going?"

"We're almost done. We should be finished around midmorning."

Elsa nodded.

"Once again, I apologize for your loss." She said. "You must be devastated."

John stuck out his bottom lip and shook his head.

"No, not really. I can think of many worse places to be stranded." He said, offering a smile.

Elsa stood up and went to the window overlooking her harbor where the men were working feverishly on what was left of the destroyed boats. Then she turned back to face John.

"I want to have the engagement party tomorrow evening." She said suddenly.

John regarded her with a blank expression.

"Ok." He said, slowly nodding his head. "Will you have enough time to plan?"

Elsa crossed her arms and began walking slowly toward him.

"I don't want to wait." She said, her brow wrinkling with worry. "I'm tired of waiting. Waiting for this drought to end. Waiting for the duke to return. Waiting for my people to perish."

She stopped just in front of him, searching his eyes for understanding.

"I want to celebrate it before there's nothing left celebrate."

John placed one hand on her arm.

"Elsa, I understand your concern. Be careful, though, how much time you spend worrying about things that haven't happened yet."

He dug into his pocket and fished out a large, silver watch, flipping open its face to examine the contents. He then shoved it back in his trousers and smiled at Elsa.

"My men should be available shortly to help you prepare for the party. They will obey any command you may give them."

"Thank you." Elsa replied. She turned and sat back down on the throne.

"There is another matter I'd like to discuss with you."

She held out the book and he took a step forward to retrieve it from her.

"What do you make of that?" She asked.

John turned the book over in his hands repeatedly as he inspected it.

"A strange contraption." He muttered curiously. "I've never seen anything like it."

He rapped on the cover with his knuckles and then held it up to his ear.

"It appears to have a locking mechanism but no obvious means of disengaging it."

After returning the book to Elsa he dropped his arms, holding his wrist in one hand.

"Whoever that belonged to had an overdeveloped sense of insecurity." He said.

"It belonged to my father."

John grimaced.

"My apologies."

Elsa set the book down in her lap and folded her gloved hands over it.

"No apology necessary." She said.

She stared at the book for a long while before looking back up at John.

"What if we pry it open?"

John shook his head.

"I wouldn't recommend it. If he went through that much trouble to keep people out there's probably a fail-safe."

Elsa blinked repeatedly.

"A what?" She asked, confused.

"A fail-safe. A mechanism to destroy the book or pages if the lock is breached."

Elsa looked at the book again, scrunching up her nose.

"Then how am I supposed to open it?"

John shrugged.

"I'm sorry, I can't answer that for you."

Elsa sighed and set it on the small table next to her throne.

"Thank you for looking anyway."

John took a step away and smiled broadly.

"It was my pleasure."

They stood there silently for a few moments before he continued.

"Is there anything else I can assist you with?"

Elsa shook her head.

"No, thank you."

"Very well. As soon as the ships are dismantled we will be at your beck and call."

He bowed and excused himself, leaving the room.

Elsa examined the book with renewed interest. What was her father hiding? Why would he go through so much trouble to keep people out of his diary, if in fact that's even what it was? Even more importantly, how was she supposed to open it?

She wondered if she would ever find out.

She returned the book to her room and found Anna. Together with Olaf they continued working on the decorations for the engagement party. The castle staff began moving the supplies out of the castle and into the courtyard. After a while John's men joined them in their efforts, greatly speeding up the process. By the end of the day the courtyard was completely filled with all the furniture, furnishings and decorations they had been able to prepare.

The following day was spent getting the food and drink ready in the kitchen and organizing everything into a coherent ensemble that resembled a ball. The members of the band showed up about midmorning to practice their numbers and the music helped motivate everyone to complete their work. Finally, early in the afternoon, everything was finished. The fountains had been turned into fire pits, colorful streamers hung from the walls, tables were ready to yield up their tasty provisions and the musicians were prepared to lift everyone's spirits.

For the first time in forever, Elsa felt like she finally had some control. She smiled at their handiwork and could hardly wait for the festivities to begin. It was going to be a beautiful evening for her beautiful sister. Nothing could go wrong.


	9. Chapter 9

Elsa stood in her room, looking out the window. It was almost time. She could see the people streaming toward the courtyard, all of them dressed in their best clothes. She herself had put on the finest outfit she owned, a turquoise dress with velvet black trim around the neck and arms. She wore matching, elbow-length gloves and small, black shoes upon her feet. Her platinum blonde hair was wrapped tightly in a bun.

She turned away from the window and took a deep breath, exhaling softly before walking to the door and slowly pulling it open. Two guards were waiting in the hall.

"Your Majesty." Said one of them, bowing. "Alek would like to have a word with you before you join the festivities."

Elsa nodded and they proceeded toward the throne room where the captain of her guard stood waiting outside.

"My Queen." Alek said, bowing his head. "Please remember what I told you."

He waved one hand toward his men.

"Stay close to these two guards at all times. Try to stay away from the crowd where it will be difficult to protect you."

He hesitated for a moment before continuing.

"And please try to keep your distance from Prince John."

Elsa frowned.

"Please, Your Majesty! As long as there is an enemy of Arendelle here..."

Elsa interrupted him.

"John is not an enemy of Arendelle!"

Alek exhaled sharply.

"It is my duty to keep you safe. Until we know who set fire to those ships I must insist that you take reasonable precautions to protect yourself."

Elsa nodded.

"Of course." She said.

Alek turned to face his men.

"Don't take your eyes off her!" He commanded.

He looked at Elsa one more time and then marched down the hall and out of sight. Elsa stood there, watching him go.

"Are you ready, Your Majesty?" One of the guards asked.

She looked at him and smiled.

"Yes. Let's go."

She followed them down through the hallway and then to a flight of stairs where they descended into another long hallway. At one end was a tall, two leaved door which opened into the courtyard. Standing next to it was Kai, the head of her castle staff, dressed in a brown button up shirt and green vest. He bowed to Elsa as the group approached him.

"Welcome, Your Majesty." He said.

He turned and opened the door to walk through, disappearing out of view. Elsa could hear the din of the crowd tapering off into an excited hush as they saw him appear. His voice sounded slightly muffled as he spoke to them from the other side of the wall.

"Queen Elsa of Arendelle!" He announced loudly.

Elsa stepped through the doorway onto a stone porch which was flanked by four decorative columns, two on each side. A long, narrow table spanned almost the entire width of the porch and three tall backed, armless chairs sat in a line before it. Elsa stepped around the table and stood above a short flight of steps that descended into the walled courtyard. It was filled with the upturned faces of the people of Arendelle, all of whom stood smiling and applauding. Marshmallow rested next to the steps just off to her right, his form folded into a shape resembling a miniature snow mountain.

Kai went back into the castle and Elsa immediately began searching the crowd for some sign of John. She didn't find him, but she watched Olaf for a moment as he skittered back and forth among the patrons, fulfilling his duties as usher. She was about to give up looking for the prince when she saw him enter through the open gate opposite from where she stood. It was being closely watched by two of her guards and John's own guards accompanied him as he entered. He smiled and waved at her from across the courtyard and she smiled back.

Kai returned and whispered something into Elsa's ear and she nodded in understanding. She turned her attention back to the people who stopped clapping and were anxiously waiting for her to address them.

"My dear, beautiful people of Arendelle." She started, speaking as loud as she could. "I thank you for joining us on this most special occasion to celebrate the engagement of my sister, Princess Anna, to Arendelle's official ice master and deliverer and her longtime suitor, Kristoff Bjorgman."

The crowd applauded loudly at this and Elsa waited until they stopped before continuing.

"I know that these have been trying times for us all. I am keenly aware of your suffering under the heavy burden of this unnatural drought. But it is my sincere hope that this evening of celebration and merriment will help ease the effects of your daily struggles and bring you a much needed reprieve."

She paused to examine their reaction. Every eye in the courtyard was intensely fixed upon her.

"I promise, as your queen, I will do everything in my power to save Arendelle from this and any other danger that may ever threaten my people."

Someone in the crowd shouted loudly.

"Long live Queen Elsa!"

The rest of the people echoed the sentiment in one spontaneous and unanimous shout.

"LONG LIVE QUEEN ELSA!"

They applauded loudly for some time and Elsa stood patiently, waiting to continue. Finally, the applause stopped.

"I want to take this opportunity to recognize a visitor whose generosity made this evening possible. Please welcome Prince John of the Southern Isles."

She motioned to where Prince John stood near the back of the courtyard and everyone turned to see him. He smiled and gave a slight nod of his head and the crowd clapped briefly for him before returning their gaze to Elsa. She went on.

"But this evening is not about me, or Prince John, or the residents of our beloved Arendelle. This evening belongs to my sister, the princess of Arendelle, and her new fiancée. Please welcome Anna and Kristoff!"

Elsa stood aside and everyone turned their attention to the double doors behind her. Out came Anna and Kristoff, locked at the elbow and walking side by side. Anna was smiling broadly and wore a flowing red dress with narrow straps that exposed her arms and shoulders. Her strawberry-blonde hair was tied up in a bun and a golden pendant hung loosely about her neck. Kristoff was dressed in a white suit with black boots and a purple scarf tied in a bow under his chin. He looked nervously out at the crowd, his back stiff and his steps uneven as he clung to Anna's arm. They made their way around the table to stand next to Elsa who faced them, smiling.

The crowd once more erupted into applause, the sound reverberating off the courtyard walls and filling the air with its warm excitement. After some time the sound of it finally died down and Elsa turned back to face her people.

"Please enjoy tonight's festivities." She said. "There is plenty of food, drink and merriment to be had by all!"

The band, located on a makeshift stage to Elsa's right, took this as its cue and began playing a bouncy, playful tune. The crowd of people immediately separated into pairs and began joyfully dancing to the beat. Anna grabbed Kristoff by the hand.

"Come on!" She shouted excitedly, pulling him down the steps toward the dancing people. Kristoff looked like a cat being dragged to water.

Elsa put one hand over her mouth and chuckled. She stood there regally, watching the fluid motion of the couples as they weaved back and forth in tight patterns, somehow managing to avoid colliding. Hearing the music of the band and seeing the smiles upon their faces made her heart leap for joy, and she was thankful she had agreed to hold this celebration.

After a while, the band began playing a slower tune and Kristoff attempted to escape back to the safety of the stage, but Anna would have none of it. She grabbed him by the arm and yanked him toward her. He reluctantly attempted to follow the steps of the dance but was failing quite miserably. Anna didn't seem to mind at all but just stared into his eyes, a dreamy look etched on her face.

Elsa was so focused on Anna and Kristoff that she didn't notice John had approached her. He stood alone at the bottom of the steps and bowed deeply.

"Good evening, Your Highness." He said, smiling.

Elsa smiled back.

"Good evening." She replied.

John extended his arm toward her, holding out his hand.

"May I have this dance?" He inquired earnestly.

Elsa's face became grim and she looked at him for a long time without replying. John raised his brow as he waited for her response, but he never took his eyes off her. When she finally did reply her voice was flat and emotionless.

"I'm sorry." She said. "But I don't dance."

John's arm dropped and deep furrows formed across his forehead.

"Really?" He asked in surprise. He regarded her with a look of disbelief.

"In what diabolical kingdom does the most beautiful woman at the ball not dance?"

Elsa smiled again.

"Be careful. This is my sister's ball, after all."

She turned her attention to one of the guards.

"Please find another chair for John and bring it to the table." She commanded.

The guard looked at her.

"Your Majesty, do you think that would be..."

Elsa cut him off.

"I was not asking." She said, curtly.

The guard nodded once and disappeared into the castle. He arrived a short time later with another chair identical to the others and made room for it at the table. Elsa motioned for John to sit on one end and she took the chair next to him. They sat silently watching the people. Many were dancing but many were also visiting the tables that lined the walls around the courtyard, picking at the treats and drinking the beverages. Elsa turned toward John.

"This was a wonderful idea." She said happily.

John turned his head to face her.

"What, the party?"

Elsa nodded.

"But not only that. Having it in the courtyard was brilliant."

John smiled.

"I'm certain you would have thought of it yourself if given more time."

The band began to play a party favorite and everyone rushed to the dance floor forming two long lines. The men stood opposite from the women, facing them . The couple at the end of each line would break formation and approach one another, dancing in circles down the middle of the aisle formed by the clapping people until they reached the other end. There they got back in line, waiting for another turn.

Elsa and John watched their joyful antics for a bit, an awkward silence creeping in between them. Her mind raced for something to say, and she looked over at John whose eyes were fixed on the crowd below.

"So," she began, somewhat nervously. "I understand you had twelve brothers."

John broke his gaze from the crowd to look at her.

"Yes, that's correct." He said, turning to watch the dancers again.

Elsa shuffled her feet beneath her chair and folded her hands into her lap. She pressed him further on the subject.

"I can't imagine what that must have been like." She said, glancing over at him. "Was it difficult?"

John returned his attention to her, noting the earnest expression on her face. He leaned back in his chair before answering.

"It wasn't easy." He said, his eyes narrowing as he foraged through the memories of his childhood. "Our father was rarely around, always preoccupied with official state business and such. There was a lot of fighting and bickering, everyone insisting that they were father's favorite and ready to take their brothers to task to prove it."

Elsa smiled in understanding.

"I can only imagine."

She watched Kristoff and Anna break away from the end of their respective lines and step forward to meet each other. They danced and twirled and jumped between the rows of onlookers who clapped and shouted their approval. A smile lit up Anna's face like a bright beam of sunlight on a cloudy day and even Kristoff couldn't help but grin. The last time Elsa had seen her sister this happy was after Hans had proposed to her.

A shadow fell over Elsa's face as she thought about Hans. Her eyes went to John who sat there grinning and bouncing his head along with the music. Could he be fooling her? Could everything about him be a rouse, a forgery designed to break down her defenses and steal her kingdom? The thought seemed so foreign to her. She couldn't fathom it to be true. She didn't want it to be true.

"I'm curious." She started, attracting John's attention again. "What was Hans like growing up? Were you surprised that he did what he did?"

"Hans?" He asked rhetorically. "Yes, Hans' actions were a complete surprise. I would have never guessed in a hundred years that he could dream up such a scheme."

He leaned forward and placed one elbow on the table to support himself before continuing.

"Hans was always the perfect gentleman. Ever the peacemaker, never the instigator. He was always calm and in complete control of his emotions. You could never get him to lose his temper, no matter how hard you tried."

John smiled at the memory.

"And believe me, I tried!"

This was not the story Elsa had hoped to hear about the man who had nearly succeeded in his plot to overthrow her kingdom. But John seemed oblivious to this fact and heartily continued.

"Once, my two brothers and I..." he paused to correct himself. "Full brothers, that is. I mean, not my half brothers. The three of us were all sons of the same mother."

He paused again, smiling at Elsa.

"Sorry, I've never been very good at telling a story."

He cleared his throat and went on.

"At any rate, the three of us decided we were going to ignore Hans. Simply pretend he didn't exist."

"Really?" Elsa asked, raising one eyebrow. "Please tell me you were a child when this happened."

John laughed.

"I think I was twelve." He thought for a moment, looking at the sky through the tops of his eyes. "Hans would have been around ten, then. Anyway, we were jealous that he was the baby of the family and getting preferential treatment. It started as more of a joke but as time went on we realized we weren't getting the reaction we had hoped for."

John chuckled to himself and shook his head.

"We ignored that little brat for nearly two years without so much as getting a single rise out of him."

Elsa was just staring at him with her mouth open and eyebrows raised.

"That's awful!" She gently scolded. "What made you stop?"

John appeared mildly surprised at Elsa's reaction to his tale. He sat up straight in his chair.

"That's a whole different story." He said, watching the dancers again. "I don't think you would be very interested in hearing me tell it."

Elsa frowned.

"Yes I would."

The song had changed once more and now the men stood in two concentric circles. The women traded partners with each shift of the tempo as they tried to complete a circuit around the entire ring of men. John returned his gaze to Elsa who had not stopped waiting for the rest of his story

"Very well, if you insist." He said, smiling obligingly.

"Myself and all twelve of my brothers were on a hunting expedition one evening far away from the castle. I got separated from them in the woods and ran into a thicket of brambles. My horse threw me and I hit my head on a rock."

He pointed at the scar on his forehead above his left eye.

"That's how I got this. I don't know how long I was unconscious but when I woke up it was dark and I didn't know who or where I was. When a storm blew in, every single one of my brothers gave up looking for me and returned to the castle. But not Hans. He searched all night long through the wind and the rain and the pitch dark of the new moon. Eventually he found me. I heard someone calling but didn't know it was my name. He practically had to carry me back since I was too weak to get on his horse, an impressive feat for any twelve-year-old. Thankfully, we met up with some guards who had come out to search for me and they took me the rest of the way."

John paused for a moment, examining Elsa's reaction. Her eyes were wide and the corners of her mouth turned down.

"Eventually, I regained my memory. Of course, I didn't continue treating Hans the way I had, but I never apologized to him. I still regret that."

John's eyes stared thoughtfully off into the distance. Then they returned to Elsa and he smiled again.

"That was one thing about Hans. He was fiercely protective of his family. I would never have guessed he could be capable of such cold-blooded treachery."

Elsa inhaled deeply. She was hoping to hear that Hans had a been a cold and calculating menace all of his life. This would be confirmation that if she had just known him better she could have detected his duplicity and subverted his evil plot before he even began implementing it. But this story only served to confuse and confound her. What did it tell her about John? Was she to believe that no matter how much she got to know him she could never fully trust him? Could you ever fully know anyone?

She watched the laughing and grinning women dancing in their circles. Kristoff was clearly frustrated that he had to let Anna go and he made no attempt to enjoy his dances with the other women. He just craned his neck trying to keep track of Anna. His eyes lit up when she joined him again but frowned in consternation as she passed on.

John looked back at Elsa.

"Can I get you something to drink?" He offered.

"That sounds delightful." Elsa responded. "But that won't be necessary. My staff will serve us."

She motioned to one of the servants standing at the foot of the stairs opposite from Marshmallow and the woman immediately approached them.

"Hello, Sara." Elsa greeted her, smiling.

"Good evening, Your Majesty." Sara replied with a curtsy.

"John and I would like some wine. Would you please bring us some?"

Sara curtsied to John.

"Of course, give me one moment."

She walked briskly toward one of the food tables and spoke to the attendant standing nearby who collected what she came for. Then she returned with a platter which held two empty goblets and an uncorked bottle of wine. She set them on the table.

"Thank you." Elsa said.

Sara went back to her station and John poured the wine. Together they began drinking and observing the people who were returning to their original partners to begin dancing the steps of a new song. John set his cup down and spoke while watching the crowd.

"Your sister seems quite delightful." He stated merrily. "Kristoff is lucky to have her."

He turned to Elsa who was nodding in agreement.

"Have you always been close?" He asked.

Elsa held her cup tightly and examined his expression, judging the sincerity of the question. She took a sip of her wine before replying.

"We were very close as children." She began, hesitantly. "But I struck her with my powers when we were very small and nearly killed her."

She looked away, her eyes falling to the table.

"I guess you could say that put a damper on our relationship."

John glanced at Anna and Kristoff and then back at Elsa.

"You seem very close now." He observed. "What happened?"

Elsa looked back at him.

"Anna's a trooper." She said, smiling. "She never gave up on me, no matter what happened or what came between us. She's the reason Arendelle even has a queen at all."

She paused, watching her sister standing at arm's length from Kristoff as they performed the movements of the dance, Anna directing him with her gestures.

Elsa's expression grew suddenly serious.

"Which reminds me," she said, "how will the Southern Isles get their prince back?"

John regarded her warily.

"Trying to get rid of me already, are you?"

"No," she replied, smiling, "of course not. But surely someone must be expecting you back home."

John's face fell and he picked up his wine to take another drink.

"Things are not well in the Southern Isles, I'm afraid." He stated without emotion. "I don't think anyone will be missing me."

Elsa's eyebrows knitted on her forehead.

"What do you mean?"

John tilted his head back to finish the wine in the bottom of his cup and then set it down to fill it again. He gestured to Elsa to see if she wanted more, but she shook her head.

"After Hans' return," he continued, "a series of unfortunate events befell my kingdom. It began with the death of Hans and his mother."

Elsa's eyes widened with surprise.

"His mother?"

John nodded as he took another sip of his wine.

"Yes, the Queen of the Southern Isles. She was accompanying him on his journey to the penal colony."

He watched Elsa's expression intensify.

"Not as a prisoner." John corrected. "As his mother. She was fiercely opposed to his sentence and chose to accompany the boat tasked with carrying it out. Unfortunately, it cost her her life. Shortly after that my father and two eldest brothers were killed in a carriage accident. Now Jens, the eldest of my father's remaining sons and third in line to be king, sits upon the throne of the Southern Isles. But he is a harsh man and rules with an iron fist."

John finished his second cup of wine and set the goblet back on the table. He did not pour himself another.

"As you may have guessed, I'm in no hurry to return and tell him about the loss of his ships."

Elsa exhaled sharply and pressed her lips together.

"I'm sorry."

She couldn't think of anything else to say. John smiled reassuringly.

"We all have our challenges, do we not?" He said. "But let us talk about more joyful things."

At that moment, the band stopped playing and Kai went on stage to address the people. A quiet hush came over all of them as they listened to his announcement.

"It is now time for the event we have all been waiting for." He called out loudly to the crowd who were carefully listening to him. "Please clear the dance floor."

Everyone left the center of the courtyard to form a thick ring of spectators that encircled Anna and Kristoff who remained in the middle. Kai continued.

"Princess Anna and Kristoff will now perform the waltz."

The crowd applauded and whistled in excitement. The waltz was the dance everyone had been waiting to participate in. However, it was tradition for the band to refrain from playing it until the engaged couple got to perform it first.

"Once their dance is complete," Kai explained, "anyone may join them on the dance floor."

He exited the stage and the band began playing a slow and hauntingly beautiful waltz. Anna and Kristoff were locked together in the dance, the hands of one arm clasped together and extending out beside them. Kristoff had clearly practiced this dance and managed to be much more nimble on his feet. Anna stared deeply into his eyes and all the tension went out of Kristoff's body as he returned her gaze. The crowd was absolutely silent as they watched them slowly spin and twirl across the stone floor. Elsa felt a surge of pride and sadness simultaneously as she watched them dance, and she wiped away a tear with one of her gloved hands. She had never seen her sister look happier than she did right now.

Then the music stopped and the dance was over. Everyone began clapping fiercely and shouting words of good will at the happy couple. Elsa turned to look at John, her voice wavering with emotion.

"Thank you." She half whispered. "This evening was only possible because of you."

John smiled broadly at her before replying.

"You have no idea what pleasure it brings me to see that look upon your face and the tear of joy in your eye."

Elsa sniffed and laughed softly at the same time.

"I wish there was some way I could repay you for all of this." She said, her smile fading. "If I had anything left in my kingdom I would happily surrender it to you."

John sat in quiet contemplation for a moment as he watched the people returning to the dance floor as another waltz began. His face grew serious as he turned to look at Elsa.

"There is one thing that I desire, Your Highness." He said somberly, his gaze intently fixed upon her.

Elsa's shoulders dropped and she tilted her head.

"If it is within my power, I swear I will not hold back anything that you may request."

She inhaled deeply and straightened her back.

"What is it you desire?"

John stood up and held his arm out toward her.

"Your hand in this dance." He replied.


	10. Chapter 10

Elsa sat motionless, holding her breath and staring at John's outstretched hand. His eyes were full of expectation as they silently implored her. She turned her head to see Anna in the courtyard, staring at Kristoff with an expression of pure joy and happiness. She looked back at John. He was the reason this evening even existed. She had him to thank for this event, one that forever would be cherished by both her and her sister. How could she refuse? How could she say no?

Elsa exhaled softly and her hand trembled as she reached out to take John's. He gently pulled her toward him, leading her around the table and down the stairs onto the even stones of the courtyard floor. Her guards exchanged a look of uncertainty but made no attempt to intervene. As they approached the outer edge of the group of dancers Anna realized what was happening. Her mouth parted slightly and she tapped Kristoff on the arm, gesturing for him to look. Everyone's head turned to see the new couple, but Elsa didn't notice. She became captivated by John's gaze as they stopped to face one another. He took her hand in his and slipped his other arm around her, resting it high on her back. She placed the fingers of her free hand upon his shoulder and they began to dance.

The music was entrancing and Elsa was enraptured by John's smile as they slowly swayed and twirled in one coordinated motion across the stone floor. The sound of the other dancers faded away along with the din of the spectators and revelers who were watching them. Then the entire courtyard seemed to melt into oblivion. All she could see was her reflection in John's eyes as he gently led her around the courtyard. She could feel her dress billowing out like a silken flag in a summer breeze as they spun and dipped and stepped in sync with the band.

She was completely immersed in the motions of the dance, sensing every touch and every movement John made. Time seemed to stand still as she listened to the soft swoosh of the air rushing around them. She had a feeling she couldn't explain, something that seemed to grow within her heart, sending warm waves of emotion throughout the rest of her body. John never took his eyes off her and he never missed a step, slowing only when the song was over.

Elsa didn't immediately realize that the music had stopped until John released her and took a step back. He made a slight bow and smiled.

"Thank you, Your Highness." He said.

Elsa felt like she had been holding her breath the entire dance and inhaled deeply. A swell of emotion rose into her chest and she shuddered at its intensity. She was about to make a reply when she saw Kristoff turn away from Anna and begin storming toward them, his jaw mashed together like a steel trap. He stopped next to John who turned to face him.

"I want to talk to you." Kristoff demanded angrily, jerking his head toward the open gate. "Outside."

Anna stood rooted in place where he had left her, her eyes wide with shock.

John glanced at Elsa, confused. Elsa's eyebrows were raised and her mouth open, but no sound escaped. John looked at Kristoff again.

"Anything you have to say to me," he said calmly, "you can say here."

Kristoff straightened his back and curled his hands into fists.

"You think I'm afraid of these people?" He snapped in response. John made no reply and Kristoff continued, his voice lowering in pitch but rising in intensity.

"I don't know who you think you are, or what you think you're doing."

His whole body was trembling and he inhaled sharply through his nose.

"Kristoff, I think..." John began, but he was interrupted before he could finish.

"If you even think about hurting Elsa," Kristoff said, his voice shallow and hoarse, "I will come down on you like a house."

"Kristoff!" Anna exclaimed, running over to grab his arm, but he shook her off without removing his eyes from John. John's guards began to approach but he saw them first and waved them away.

"Mark my words!" Kristoff growled.

John took a step back and breathed deeply. Kristoff glowered at him. Elsa stood like a statue, a look of shock chiseled onto her face. Anna burst into tears.

Kristoff glanced at her before storming toward the gate, the crowd parting to allow him to pass. He disappeared out the doors and across the bridge. Elsa went to Anna, wrapping her arms around her, and Anna buried her face into her sister's shoulder, sobbing. After a moment Elsa walked her up the stairs and around the table. Her guards opened the door and attempted to follow them through, but Elsa shook her head.

"Stay here." She commanded.

The doors were shut behind them and the sisters stood close, wrapped in a silent embrace. The muffled sound of the band could be heard beginning another tune.

Anna cried softly for some time, trying hard between sobs to regain her composure. Elsa just held her in her arms, gently stroking her hair. Finally, Anna was able to gain some control and she dabbed at her eyes with a napkin Elsa had grabbed off the table.

"How could he do that?" Anna asked, in disbelief.

Elsa sighed heavily, brushing a stray hair out of her sister's face.

"Kristoff means well." She said softly. "He just doesn't have the social graces to know how to express himself properly."

Anna tried to smile.

"I'll say." She said, rolling her eyes and wiping at them with the cloth.

Elsa grabbed her hands and held them in hers.

"You musn't be too hard on him." She said.

Anna nodded.

"But what do I do?" She asked, her face stitched with worry.

Elsa tilted her head and smiled.

"Go after him." She said, staring into her sister's tear stained eyes. "He needs you."

Anna embraced her and then turned to open the large doors they had come through. Elsa followed but stopped at the table to watch her quickly descend the steps and trot through the crowded courtyard. She passed through the gate on the other side which opened to a long bridge that connected the castle to the town square. When she was out of sight Elsa sat down, scanning the crowd for John. However, he found her first, appearing at the bottom of the steps.

"Your Highness," he said, "I think it would be wise if I took my leave."

Elsa shook her head.

"I don't want you to go."

John regarded her with a look of gratitude.

"I appreciate that." He said, smiling. "But your sister needs to remember this event as a day of joy and happiness, not one of confrontation and strife. I must insist on taking my leave. My men and I will be in our barracks, should you need anything."

Elsa sighed heavily, frowning.

"Very well." She responded. "But at least allow me to provide you with a proper room."

She motioned to Sara who was speaking to some patrons at the bottom of the stairs. She hurried up the steps to stand before Elsa.

"Yes, Your Majesty.?" She said with a slight curtsy.

"Please prepare a guest room for John."

John shook his head.

"That won't be necessary." He protested. "I prefer to stay with my men."

"Nonsense." Elsa responded, smiling. "It is the least I can do."

She gave a nod to Sara who immediately went around the table and entered the double doors behind her. Elsa returned her attention to John and they stood facing each other in silence for a few moments.

"Thank you for the dance." Elsa said at last.

John bowed deeply.

"The pleasure was all mine."

Then one of the guards approached him and together they disappeared into the castle.

# # # # # #

Anna hurried across the bridge toward the town square, her eyes frantically scanning the booths and buildings for some sign of Kristoff. The square was empty though, and no trace of his passage could be discerned by examining the gray, brick walkways. She turned toward the docks but quickly changed her mind and spun around. She knew where he would be.

She headed for the stables where Kristoff kept Sven. As she approached the building her ears detected the sound of someone shuffling across the hay strewn floor inside. Upon opening the door she found Kristoff standing with his back to her, securing large barrels of water to a cart designed to be pulled by a sleigh. His white jacket was hung on a nail and his purple scarf was untied and dangling around his waist. He glanced over his shoulder at her but didn't turn around. Sven grunted joyfully when he saw Anna and came running over to get his head scratched. Much to his delight, she knelt down and rubbed her fingertips through the thick fur all around his face and ears. The large reindeer gently muzzled her neck and she laughed at the tickle of it.

After one last pat between his antlers Anna stood up to face Kristoff. He continued to work on the cart and she stood there in silence, watching him.

"Whatcha doin?" She asked, trying to disguise her apprehension.

Kristoff didn't immediately respond. He finished tying and tightening the last bit of rope before turning around to face her. He wiped his hands off on a dirty piece of cloth before responding.

"I'm not going to apologize, Anna."

Anna watched Sven munching on some grass and then examined the barrels that were secured on the cart. Each one bore a small insignia of the Southern Isles. She looked back at Kristoff and attempted to smile as she spoke.

"Are you going somewhere?"

Kristoff sat down on a bench attached to the wall and sighed. He rested his elbows on his knees and toyed with the rag.

"I'm going to take a delivery of water to my family." He answered, his eyes cast downward.

Anna sat next to him.

"When?"

Kristoff hesitated before answering. Sven stamped his hooves over a patch of loose hay and then lay down upon it, closely watching them.

"Tonight." He answered finally.

Anna looked surprised.

"You're not coming back to the party?"

Kristoff sat quietly for some time before shaking his head. Anna's mouth parted slightly and she craned her neck.

"Kristoff, you can't leave your own engagement party!" She stated in disbelief.

He sat silently and didn't respond.

"What is wrong with you?" Anna asked, shaking her head. "Are you going to let John ruin one of the most important events in our lives?"

Kristoff said nothing. He just studied the dirty cloth as he dragged it back and forth between his fingers.

"Please, look at me." Anna asked, but Kristoff didn't comply.

"Look at me!" She demanded.

He sat up and turned his head to face her.

"Why won't you come back to the party?" She inquired, trying to control the emotion in her voice.

He still didn't respond.

"Kristoff, why won't you come back to the party?" She repeated, more insistently.

Kristoff looked away and Anna's voice became filled with intensity.

"Are you that mad at John? What has he done?"

She waited for his response but it didn't come. He wore a blank expression on his face like the chiseled stare of a granite bust.

"Because he danced with Elsa?"

He shook his head but did not reply. Anna could no longer hide her frustration

"Then what?" She exclaimed. "Why won't you come back to the party?"

His silence only served to frighten her and her tone became more frantic.

"Why, Kristoff?"

Finally, she lost control of her composure and her question came out as a yell.

"Kristoff, why!"

"Because I don't belong there!" Kristoff responded angrily.

Anna was taken aback.

"What?" She asked, her voice falling to a whisper. "Why would you say that?"

Kristoff exhaled slowly but made no response.

Anna was calmer, but the fear was unmistakable in her tone.

"Kristoff, why would you say that?"

He stared at the ground for a long time before replying. When he did, his voice was almost inaudible.

"Because I'm not good enough for you."

All the air went out of Anna's lungs. Her shoulders dropped and her mouth opened wide.

"Kristoff, what are you talking about?"

He looked at her and shook his head slowly.

"You are the princess of Arendelle." He said, softly. "And what am I?"

Anna smiled.

"My fiancée."

Kristoff shook his head.

"No. What kind of man am I?" He asked. But he didn't wait for a response.

"I am an ice deliverer without any ice."

His eyes fell back to the floor.

"I have no purpose and nowhere to belong."

"You belong here, with me." Anna replied.

He bent over and grabbed his hair in his fists. Then he sat up, looking at her.

"Arendelle faces extinction, and what have I done to save it? What have I done to protect you and Elsa?"

He sat there, staring into her eyes with an expression of loathing and contempt.

"Nothing." He said, answering his own question.

Anna shook her head defiantly.

"That's not true, Kristoff. You have been out there every day looking for water. You have sacrificed all of your time and energy, searching everywhere for it."

Kristoff snorted angrily and looked away.

"And what good did that do anybody?" He asked sardonically.

Anna placed her hand on his arm but he pulled it away.

"Then Prince John shows up with his men and saves the day." He continued, his gaze returning to the floor. "He puts food on our plates and a smile on your face, fulfilling every wish that you could ever hope for."

"That's not true." She interjected.

He raised his eyes to meet hers.

"You deserve a prince, Anna. Someone who can take care of you and make you happy."

He paused, looking down at his hands.

"Not an orphan ice master with no future."

Anna placed a hand on either side of his face and turned his head to look at her.

"If that's really how you feel, then why did you propose to me?"

Kristoff gently grabbed her by the wrists and placed her hands in her lap.

"Because I thought Arendelle was doomed."

His eyes fell to his feet for a moment and then returned to Anna.

"I didn't want you to have to die alone."

"Oh, Kristoff!" Anna softly exclaimed, throwing her arms around his neck to embrace him.

She let go of him and started to say something when Sven's head jerked up from where he was lying on the ground. He sniffed the air frantically and leapt onto his hooves, sharply expelling his breath through tightly pressed lips.

Kristoff jumped up and went over to him.

"What is it boy?" He asked as he placed one hand on the reindeer's neck.

Sven grunted and pawed violently at the stable doors. Anna stood up as Kristoff opened them and they stepped out together. Sven bolted between them and ran toward the bridge. Anna regarded Kristoff with a look of bewilderment but he trusted the reindeer's instincts. Grabbing Anna's hand he began to run after Sven but then stopped, turning in horror to face the mountains behind Arendelle. Streaming toward them, weaving between the houses and buildings that were built on the steep slopes, were a small army of strange blue creatures. They were short but stout, some supporting themselves on their knuckles as they ran. They had large, pointy ears and a thick mane of white hair that flowed down their backs. Kristoff had never seen anything like them before and he staggered backward.

"Run!" He cried out, sprinting toward the courtyard and pulling Anna after him.

"Close the gates!" He shouted hysterically as they ran across the bridge. "Close the gates!"


	11. Chapter 11

**NOTE FROM**** AUTHOR**

I owe my readers an apology. I feel like I let you down by releasing a half-baked chapter last weekend. I have worked all week rewriting, revising and restructuring this chapter and I am VERY pleased with the results. I promise you will not be wasting your time if you choose to re-read it. In fact, I might go as far as to say you could be missing out if you don't. Either way, please let me know what you think of this new voice I'm beginning to discover.**  
**

I am in the process of rewriting Chapter 12. I promise that I will release it as soon as it is finished, I will not make you wait a minute longer. I will try to get back on schedule as soon as possible, but fixing such an important chapter in my story was very important to me. I hope that you will agree.

Sincerely,

PinkLed

* * *

Elsa sat alone at the table overlooking the courtyard. She stared at her folded hands with a blank expression, only vaguely aware of the music, dancing and revelry around her. She could not believe the events that had derailed her sister's engagement ball. First Kristoff's outburst, then Anna's hasty exit followed by John's unwelcome departure. More than anything, she had wanted this ball to be an event her sister would cherish forever. But now she felt like anything she touched was doomed to failure. Not your standard 'let's pick up the pieces and try again' sort of failure, but the sort that destroyed everything in its wake sparing nothing and no one. Case in point, the party was unravelling faster than a ball of yarn rolling down the stairs. Before long, she would have to announce that there was no reason to continue with what was now a meaningless charade. Everyone would abandon the festivities leaving behind a lifeless and desolate husk of a once vibrant courtyard. In many ways, it was the perfect model for what was happening in Arendelle.

A sharp cry from the other side of the dance floor shattered her melancholy. She snapped her head up to see Sven burst through the open gates, nearly trampling the startled guests clumped just inside.

"Sven?" she said.

The reindeer slid to a halt, stomping at the ground and jerking his head upward between loud neighs. Behind him, Kristoff ran across the bridge, dragging Anna along and waving his free arm so hard it looked like it might break off. He was clearly distressed, shouting something at the guards that she couldn't understand over the din of the festivities. She frowned in consternation, the high walls of the courtyard blinding her to the source of such an animated and frantic display. Her eyes searched the town square behind him but her vision was defeated by the narrow gap of the open gates. She bit her lip and wrinkled her brow, wondering what would cause Kristoff to react in such a way. She didn't have to wonder for long.

A horde of strange, blue creatures entered her line of sight, descending from the mountains and flooding into the town square across the bridge. Elsa shot out of her seat, toppling her chair over.

"Get the people into the castle!" she said.

The guards picked up one end of the table and cast it aside, sending it careening over the edge of the porch and onto the ground below. They flung the doors open and shouted at the people in the courtyard.

"Everybody into the castle!"

The music jarred to a halt as the band stopped playing mid note. All the dancers froze, their attention drawn to the commotion around their queen, and those feasting at the tables lining the dance floor exchanged confused glances. Marshmallow unfolded himself, standing at full height, spikes of ice sprouting from his back.

"Into the castle!" the guards repeated.

Elsa ran down the stairs.

"Go!" she yelled, and the people responded, pouring onto the porch and in through the double doors. She fought against a sea of bodies as she ran in the opposite direction trying to get to the gates.

Someone caught sight of the approaching horror and screamed, a shrill cry that was immediately answered by the panicking crowd. These alarmed shouts reverberated amongst the distraught guests and echoed off the courtyard walls, mixing with fresh cries to produce a cauldron of fear. The terrified revelers fought, stomped and crawled over one another trying to reach the exit. But like the sands trapped in an hourglass these efforts made little difference in their fight to escape.

Kristoff crossed the threshold of the courtyard and made sure Anna was safe inside. Then he assisted the guards who were trying to close the gates, but they wouldn't budge. They retreated to the inner set of doors, pulling and prying at them with all their strength, but these resisted their efforts with equal resolve.

"The gates are stuck!" Kristoff said as the first of the horde began to cross the bridge. They were fast. Too fast. Without the gates to stop them the people didn't stand a chance. He turned and found Olaf clinging to Anna. Grabbing their hands, they fled with Sven away from the open gates.

Elsa was trying to get beyond the crowd so she could use her magic when she crashed into a large man and lost her balance. Stumbling forward, she caught herself upon outstretched palms but another patron slammed into her, knocking her to the ground.

"MARSHMALLOW!" she screamed. "GET THE GATE!"

The giant snowman sprang into action, leaping in large strides across the courtyard. He grabbed the gates with his icicle claws and pulled on them, his entire body straining with the effort. The doors warped and squealed in protest but they didn't budge, and the blue beasts were almost there.

The massive snowman gave one last mighty heave and the doors emitted a loud cracking sound as they swung inward. But it was too late, the horde was already upon him. As the mass of creatures slammed into the heavy wood of the tall doors Marshmallow fought with all his might to hold them closed.

Kristoff met with Elsa, helping her to her feet just as her guards made a wide circle around them. One pointed to the small building on the other side of the courtyard.

"To the church!" he said.

"No!" Kristoff said, pulling Anna closer to him. "We'll be trapped in there!"

Elsa glanced at the fleeing crowd of people who were blocking the entrance to the castle. Although Marshmallow braced himself against the bulging gates she could see he was no match for the sea of monsters on the other side. She pointed to the nearest wall.

"The North exit!" she said. "It's our only chance!"

They ran to the door which opened into a narrow hallway. She ushered everyone in, Olaf and Sven entering first followed by Kristoff and Anna. The guards prodded at Elsa but she refused, motioning for them to proceed. They reluctantly complied and once everyone was safe inside she closed the door without following. One of the guards called out, hammering on the door.

"Your Majesty! What are you doing?"

She sent a blast of ice to seal it shut then ran back into the courtyard. Marshmallow's feet began to slip and he bellowed a warning to Elsa just as the weight of the intruders burst down the gates. He was sent hurling backward where he toppled over, unable to defend against the first wave of blue beasts who instantly collapsed upon him. Slashing and biting with their fearsome claws and teeth they tried to subdue the giant snowman, but Marshmallow would not be so easily defeated. With a loud roar his assailants were sent flying through the air and he leapt onto his feet, striking at the monsters with his gigantic claws and driving them back.

The remaining party guests screamed and began clawing and climbing over each other trying to escape into the castle. Elsa sent a blast of magic their way and frozen spikes exploded up from the ground around the porch, thrusting outward and creating a deadly barrier of ice to protect them.

The mass of creatures flooded through the gates but Marshmallow beat them back, his arms flailing like guillotines as they cut and smashed through one surge after another. Elsa had never seen anything like them before. They were all blue with thick, white hair between their pointy ears that flowed down their backs like a mane. The tallest of them were only waist high and they ran upon two legs like a man but had teeth and claws like a vicious animal.

As the horde continued their advance Marshmallow began to falter. The ones who escaped the giant snowman charged toward Elsa only to be met with destructive beams of magic. These crashed into their bodies in a flash of sparks and ice, sending them flying like fiery missiles hurled from a catapult. She intensified her attack while watching the last of the screaming and flailing people disappear into the castle. The doors were shut behind them and at the same moment Marshmallow became overwhelmed and dropped to his knees. The beasts swarmed around him, surging unhindered through the open gates and Elsa's magic could no longer keep up with their terrible onslaught. Surrounded and overwhelmed, her heart was seized by the icy grip of fear as she realized what was happening. She was about to be buried under a tidal wave of teeth and claws.

She crouched down, crossing her arms and sending a small blast of ice slamming into the creatures nearest her. Then she screamed in rage as she shot back up, sweeping her arms violently outward. A concussion of magic exploded in every direction, sending a spray of blue monsters cascading through the air like a massive tsunami. The shock wave cracked the stones of the courtyard floor and crashed into every wall, splintering the wooden columns and stairways. It rippled across the bridge with tremendous power, flattening the last of the advancing creatures in its path. The stone fountains and ice barrier shattered. Food, furnishings, and decorations disintegrated in the blast.

An eerie calm crept over the courtyard. Nothing stirred and Elsa stood alone among a tangle of twisted and broken debris. She gaped at the bodies of the blue creatures which lay strewn all around her.

"What have I done?" she said, staring in horror at the open palms of her hands. Her voice sounded strange in her ears, dripping with fear and full of accusation. What kind of monster could wreak so much havoc, she thought. What kind of monster could snuff out a hundred lives in an instant of time? She knew the answer, it had always been there, lurking in the back of her mind and condemning her with its harsh denunciation. She had buried the answer. Couched it in a den of hopes and dreams in a vain attempt to camouflage it, to quiet it so she could live her life without the pain of its indictment. But it was always there. Muffled perhaps, but there, watching and waiting for the time when it could reveal itself again and condemn her with its mocking gaze. It was looking at her now, a sinister grin splitting its maw and a crooked finger pointing directly at her. _I told you so_ it said. _I told you so_.

"What have I done?"

Alek came running through the castle doors, flanked by two guards, and stopped to stare wide eyed at the scene that lay before him. He had witnessed a great many things in his years as a guard in the kingdom of Arendelle, but he had never seen anything like this. The scope of death and destruction that pooled around Elsa and bled out through the gates like a severed artery was something reserved for the battlefield, not the stone floor of an engagement party.

"What happened?" he said. "Are there anymore?"

Elsa did not respond. She stumbled away, her mouth agape as she held her hands out before her.

"What have I done?"

The sharp crack of splintering wood echoed through the courtyard. Alek and his men turned to face this new threat and watched the door of the North exit break open. A group of angry guards poured out, their eyes widening as they realized what they had missed. Anna, Kristoff, Olaf and Sven were huddled together in the doorway behind them, warily examining the chaos. Anna tried to break away to get to Elsa, but Kristoff held her back, not convinced the danger had passed.

The guards went to join their captain on the porch. At the same moment, John burst out of the double doors behind Alek, chased by the screams and outbursts of the frightened residents inside the castle. He stopped briefly, absorbing the enormity of the carnage all around him. Then his eyes went to Elsa who was staggering away, trying to regain her balance. He ran to her, putting one hand upon her shoulder.

"Elsa!" he called out. "Are you alright?"

She spun around.

"You left!" she said.

She looked at the bodies of the fallen creatures, their dull eyes peering blankly at the sky and their mouths peeled back in a perpetual snarl. Their attack seemed to coincide perfectly with the ball, a time when Arendelle would be the most vulnerable, the most indefensible. Was it coincidence? Her mind raced over the events of the evening, each moment beginning to fit together like the pieces of a puzzle. There was a traitor in Arendelle, that much she knew. Someone must have known this attack was going to happen. Even more insidious was the possibility that someone planned the attack. Elsa blinked rapidly at the sudden realization. A malevolent conspiracy to bring her kingdom to its knees, or worse yet, completely destroy it. If it were planned then someone knew it was coming. If someone knew it was coming they would certainly make sure they were gone when it arrived. Her eyes snapped back to John.

"It was like you knew!"

A flurry of snowflakes materialized in the air around them and began swirling in tight formations.

"Are you alright?" John asked again, reaching out for her.

"Don't touch me!" she said, stepping away.

The storm expanded until the entire courtyard was filled with its howling fury. Blinding white snow churned around Elsa like the arms of a vicious pinwheel, pummeling everyone in its path. The savage wind clawed at the walls tearing off bits of debris and flinging it through the air. Alek and the guards were forced to retreat into the castle and the small group near the North exit took shelter in the hall.

"The party..." Elsa said, her eyes fixed firmly on John's. "It was your idea!"

John covered his face with one arm as the snow cut into his skin like tiny daggers.

"Elsa!" he shouted over the noise of the rushing wind. "No one did this. This isn't anyone's fault!"

Elsa continued to retreat from him.

"No! The party. This was your idea!"

John raised his other hand, his arms crossed to protect his face from the biting storm.

"Elsa, you must get control. You must calm down!"

Anna broke away from the others and rushed into the courtyard. She held her hands out to shield her face, her red dress flapping wildly about her. She couldn't hear what the two were disputing, their forms barely a silhouette in the eye of the storm. But it was clear that John was in danger. He knew the threat Elsa's magic could pose, yet he refused to retreat.

"John, no!" Anna said.

John slowly approached Elsa, but she would not let him near. She turned her head sideways in both directions, drinking in the magnitude of the destruction.

"It was your idea to have the party!" she said.

John reached for her again but she jerked away.

"NO!" she said. "You! You chose the courtyard!"

Anna began to advance toward them, fighting against the wind and the cold and the snow.

"John!" she said. "Get back!"

Elsa bowed her head, gripping her hair in her hands. This was all her fault, she thought. She had trusted John, given in to her feelings, allowed him to get close. What if Kristoff hadn't warned them of the impending attack? Images of her people being torn to shreds by a mass of blue monsters played out in her mind. She could hear their screams, see the fading lamp of their eyes looking upon her, their faces all bearing the same mute accusation. _You said you would protect us. You said we could trust you_.

The storm began to converge upon Elsa, swirling inward like a giant vortex. The snow and wind rushed away from the walls, fleeing back to its source. John was thrown off balance by the storm's sudden change in direction and he stumbled backward.

"John!" Anna yelled as she closed the distance between them. She knew what was going to happen. She had seen it before.

Elsa let out a long and sorrowful moan as the last of the swirling snowflakes imploded in upon her and disappeared. She tried to hold it in, to control it, but the pain was unbearable. It bubbled like lava inside her, burning through her blood and blistering in her veins. The moan became a scream, a loud, agonizing cry that split the silence of the courtyard like an axe. She arched her back and thrust her face to the sky as a ring of magic exploded from her body, sending a spray of white spears in every direction.

"Elsa!" Anna shouted, leaping in front of John just in time to shield him from the deadly shards of magic. They struck her hard and she went crashing to the ground, lying still upon the cracked stones of the courtyard floor.

Kristoff bolted out of the doorway, his face white with shock. John stood staring at Anna, dumbstruck, and took a step toward her body which lay crumpled at his feet.

"Don't touch her!" Kristoff said as he slid upon his knees, scooping her up in his arms.

"Anna!" Elsa exclaimed, running toward her sister and dropping to the ground.

"What have I done?" she said, kneeling before Kristoff who was on his knees, cradling Anna in his arms. He held her limp body the way a father might hold a sleeping child, her head resting in the crook of his elbow and her body clutched to his chest. Her arms dangled lifelessly at her sides.

"No!" Kristoff cried out. "Please, no!"

Elsa collapsed upon her sister, bursting into tears. John stood frozen like a statue, watching a thick frost sprout up from the ground and spread like wildfire, covering his shoes and everything else in a crystalline blanket of white snow. Olaf and Sven came running over.

"Anna?" Olaf muttered.

The courtyard fell silent except for the rise and fall of Elsa's hushed cries. Kristoff remained on his knees, holding Anna in his arms and shaking his head in disbelief. He took shallow breaths like the rasp of a dying man, searching Anna's face for some sign that she would be alright. Then he felt a burning fire rising from a dark place deep inside him. It grew to an inferno, filling his whole body and burning like coals on the back of his eyes.

"Elsa," Kristoff said, choking back tears, "someone sabotaged the gates."

Elsa lifted her head to look at him, her mouth open and her eyes wide. But she did not reflect the disbelief found in Kristoff's face. Instead, she bore the dread of understanding. In place of surprise she suffered the realization of her deepest fears. But it was the despair that tortured her the most, a deep and abiding despair that consumed her, hollowing her of every hope and every dream and every joy, leaving her utterly broken. She turned to John who was standing a few steps away, still rooted to the spot.

"I trusted you." she said.

John's face was the color of ash as he returned her gaze. He was unable to move or make a reply, his mouth opening and closing without uttering a sound. Elsa stood up to face him, the tears streaming from the corner of her eyes. Her voice rose and cracked with the strain of her emotion.

"I trusted you!"

John shook his head, raising his hands in protest, but he could make no words come out. She turned back to Kristoff who was now standing, his whole body trembling as he held Anna in his arms.

"We've got to take her to Grand Pabbie." he said.

Elsa nodded, wiping the tears from her eyes. Grand Pabbie, the oldest and wisest of the rock trolls, had saved her sister after being struck by her powers as a child. She prayed he could do it again.

Olaf and Sven ran for the gates. John stood staring at Anna then looked at Elsa who did not return his gaze. Finding his voice he took a step forward.

"Elsa, I..." he began but was interrupted when two of Alek's men grabbed his arms.

"What's the meaning of this?" John said.

Alek stepped around them and stood before Elsa.

"Your Majesty," he said, glancing over his shoulder, "shall I have the prince and his men thrown into the dungeon?"

Elsa looked up at John, his shock giving way to a silent pleading as his eyes begged her not to comply with the request. A part of her still wanted to believe he was not to blame, that this was all an unfortunate coincidence, a chance collaboration of unrelated events. She wanted to believe that he truly was as innocent as his expression made him out to be. She surveyed the destruction all around, her eyes pausing over the gates which hung impotent upon their hinges. She looked at Kristoff who stood waiting for her, clutching Anna to his chest, his eyes pleading in the same helpless manner. There was nothing to deliberate, she thought, no argument to be made. She had trusted John, and they had paid dearly for her mistake. She inhaled deeply and tried to imbue her voice with authority, but the answer still came out as a whisper.

"Yes."

"Elsa! No!" John protested as the guards dragged him off.

Elsa followed as Kristoff carried Anna, stepping carefully around the debris and bodies that littered the courtyard floor. When they arrived at the gates he stopped before the massive form of Marshmallow which was slowly melting in the light of the setting sun. She paused, shuddering to think what would have happened if it weren't for the quick action of that giant snowman.

"You should regenerate him before we leave." he said.

She considered the creature who had served them faithfully for so long. He had sacrificed himself to protect Arendelle and its people. She would not allow that sacrifice to be wasted.

"No." she said. "It's better this way."

Kristoff cocked his head and squinted his eyes, not understanding her meaning; but he had no desire to argue the matter. He turned and continued through the gates.

They crossed the bridge and made their way through the town square to Kristoff's stables where the sled was waiting just outside. Olaf and Sven were already there and Elsa went to Olaf, kneeling down before him. He smiled at her but she was unable to return it.

"Olaf." she said. "I want you to stay here."

Olaf's jaw dropped along with his outstretched arms.

"Why?"

Elsa sighed, staring into the little snowman's eyes. He waited for her response but it never came. Instead, she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him, a tear beginning to trace a crooked line down her cheek. He hugged her back.

"Are you alright, Elsa?"

She let go of him and sat up, wiping away the tear.

"Just stay here and take care of Arendelle." she said, picking a few loose snowflakes from the tiny twigs on top of his head. "And never forget that I love you."

Olaf studied her for a moment more then turned, beginning the long trek back to the castle. Elsa watched him go, her expression reflecting the sadness of the truth she held in her heart. She would never see him again.


End file.
